acetylene supply

[6sunset6]

Has anyone heard about acetylene shortage? I read that the calcium carbide primary supplier blew up in March . supplies are constrained. I was thinking about switching to oxy propane. I do almost all cutting and nickel silver brazing.
Propane would work for that. Hose change and tip change. Propane gas pressure is 15psi. Acetylene regulator works. So I dragged all my torches down to the local welding place ( not where I swap out my tanks, it 20 miles away) and talked to them. They asked me how much acetylene I used , it's a C tank , I think 36" high around 8" diam once a year. They said $90 don't bother changing to propane. Supply will stabilize. I have gas for a while yet so I will wait. I try to saw everything I can to save gas . 8 x 12 band saw.

 

[yomax4]

There are Bazillions of Tons of Carbide floating in from Brazil. Mostly through Praxair. The shortage should be caught up by July. If you only heat and cut, Look at an alternate fuel. They have so many benifits over Acetylene.

 

[smfcpacfp]

Here is the situation as reported on the wire service:

The Louisville carbide factory produced 75% of calcium carbide used in the United States. The industrial fire took several days to burn out because water + calcium carbide is an exothermic reaction that produces highly volatile acetylene gas.

The shortage is expected to last as long as a year as Carbide Industries rebuilds the furnace where carbide is manufactured. U.S. welding supply companies have been scrambling for overseas sources of carbide to manufacture acetylene, but in the meantime they've been advising customers to switch to propane gas.

In talking to the people at Airgas, they haven't found a supplier of calcium carbide overseas that produces a product of acceptable quality. I agree with Yomax and look at alternatives such as propane. Spending the $90 would allow you to go either way when propane becomes readily available again.