Why can't acetylene cylinders be placed horizontally when stored and used, but need to be placed upright + static electricity measures
Answer: 1) Acetylene in the cylinder is dissolved in acetone solvent under pressure. When the valve is opened, the pressure is reduced, and the dissolved acetylene is released as gas. Placing acetylene cylinders horizontally may cause acetone to flow out. Acetylene dissolved in acetone will evaporate quickly and mix with air to form an explosive mixture, which can cause combustion and explosion when exposed to open flames.
2) Acetylene cylinders are prone to rolling when placed horizontally, and bottles and other objects are prone to collision, forming an excitation energy source, leading to acetylene cylinder accidents.
3) When in use, the acetylene cylinder valve is equipped with a pressure reducer, a flame arrester, and a hose connected. Because it is easy to roll when placed horizontally, the pressure reducer, flame arrester, or the hose is easily damaged during rolling, causing acetylene gas to leak out, resulting in combustion and explosion.
4) Acetylene cylinders are equipped with shockproof rubber rings, the purpose of which is to prevent collisions during loading, unloading, transportation, and use. The rubber ring is an insulating material. Placing the acetylene cylinder horizontally is equivalent to placing it on an electrical insulator, which prevents the static electricity generated on the cylinder from spreading to the ground. Instead, it gathers on the cylinder body, which is prone to static sparks. When acetylene gas leaks, it is very easy to cause combustion and explosion accidents. For the above reasons, the acetylene cylinder must be upright.
5) In addition, in order to prevent acetylene cylinders from being damaged by static electricity, laying anti-static rubber sheets in their storage rooms and transport compartments and grounding them is also an effective static protection measure.