Chris,

C2H2 is a lot less stable than most gases. I have seen the 
results of a spontaneous explosion of a C2H2 generator that the 
fool I sold it to ran at 35 PSI. Fortunately no one was in the 
shop when it blew up and white washed everthing in the place. It 
wasn't a very violent explosion but it made a pretty good noise 
and the flying parts of the generator could have killed anyone 
in the room.

At less than 25 psi it is a lot better behaved but it can form 
very unstable compounds with copper.
http://www.ab.ust.hk/sepo/chem_info/Shock%20and%20Explosive%20Chemical.htm
If you play with don't use copper wire for the igniter if is in 
contact with the gas repeatedly or for more than a few seconds.

Acetylene is great gas to work with and is nice because you can 
carry it around in the form of calcium carbide to make as much 
as you when ever you need it. Unfortunately the apparatus for 
don't it by its nature and the nature of Acetylene are 
incompatible with modern safety standards.

Gordon

ChrisAtUpw@....... wrote:
 > In a message dated 24/07/2005, charles.r.patton@........ writes:
 >
 >     Earlier someone mentioned the idea of pre-filling some 
balloons with
 >     oxygen / acetylene.  DON'T.  You have small bombs now 
that are
 >     extremely sensitive to ESD.  Small spark, whole tamale 
goes off in
 >     your face, trunk, whatever. Spark so easy as most likely 
using
 >     plastic, rubber, etc, that is not ESD treated.  Even in 
the open,
 >     you're looking for trouble.
 >
 > Hi Charles,
 >
 >     Is this advice the result of *actual experiments* trying 
to detonate
 > C2H2 / O2 mixtures, or is it just general prudent advice 
*without any
 > experimental testing?* *Please send me the reference. *
 >     We did some experiments trying to set off  H2 / O2 
mixtures many
 > years ago and found that the mixture seemed much more 
difficult to
 > ignite than we had expected. We were working both with gas 
mixtures and
 > also with pastes of solid O2 in liquid H2, which could 
potentially give
 > a very serious explosion. We were not able to ignite the 
mixtures with
 > static charge found on a hair comb or by rubbing a balloon 
with fur.
 > A high energy spark plug gave reliable ignition as did sparks 
from the
 > an energetic 'tesla sources.
 >
 >     Can you give a reference to look up for the enegry 
dischage which
 > will produce ignition C2H2 and O2 mixtures pleae?
 >
 >     Regards,
 >
 >     Chris
 >
 >


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