In article , Don Bruder
wrote:

(Note 1/ASCII art)
An acetylene (C2H2) molecule - Each "/", and "\" is a molecular bond,
the "=" is the double-bond. C is a carbon atom, H is a hydrogen atom:


H H
\ /
C=C
/ \
H H

When C2H2 deflagrates, it splits the double-bond, resulting in two CH2
molecules

Nearly right!

Acetylene is C2H2, O.K., but has a triple bond, containing LOTS of potential
energy, which is released when the triple bond breaks.

ASCII art
_
/ \
HC---CH
\_/

NO oxygen is needed, as you say.

Deflagration occurs when a decomposition reaction supplies enough heat to
maintain or accelerate the decomposition which cannot escape fast enough to
prevent the temperature of the system from increasing.

When I had my workshop fire, the fire brigade kept my acetylene cylinder
cool by hosing it with water for 24 hours, to ensure that any acetylene
decomposition reaction did not self-accelerate to deflagration. Thank
goodness! MY house and our neighbours' houses were not destroyed!
Evenn if some of the acetylene in the cylinder did decompose, the heat loss
exceeded the rate of generation and deflagration was prevented.

Detonation occurs when the speed of propagation of the reaction through the
substance or mixture exceeds the speed of sound in the unreacted material.

G.H.Ireland.

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