Chinese shipyard ditches acetylene for natural gas

The company says that as well as benefits in energy conservation and environmental protection, the use of natural gas has the potential to offer significant financial savings. Previously, Dayang mostly used acetylene, which is a dense and produces adhering slag and black smoke. Other disadvantages include a risk of explosion when used in enclosed spaces, and the daily manual loading of over 1,000 gas canisters proved wasteful in time and effort. The company says it has analysed and compared industrial gases in terms of environmental protection and safety factors, and as a result, it decided to replace acetylene with natural gas.

Methane forms the main component of the natural gas employed, and after being desulphurised and dried, the gas is more environmentally-friendly when burned. Natural gas has lower density than acetylene, with a narrower range of explosion limits. Back fire is less likely when using natural gas, and it has proved particularly suitable for underwater cutting.