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Shortage of Acetylene!

50K views 162 replies 27 participants last post by  stich626 
#1 ·
I just went to fill my acetylene tank and found out that it is being rationed because of the plant that produces the carbinde in it burnt a while ago!

Holy crap-o-crap, that sucks. Thank goodness for the MIG but damn I wanted to fire up my torch.

Brian
 
#5 ·
MartinSr is right there are several good alternatives for a cutting torch, with LP being about the easiest, cheapest (just a tip change) and most practical, but nothing out there will replace Acetylene without major compromises and none of them will weld! I have used LP for years as a much cheaper alternative for cutting use but Acetylene is a must to have on hand also and except for the cost is the only torch fuel that will do everything and do it well. For body work or any other gas welding operation Acetylene is going to be the only thing to use.
 
#6 ·
I am hoping I can get some using my employers account at a different welding supply. We just got our ox/ace tanks exchanged this past monday and nothing was said. At my source (where I have been going for thirty years) I was told unless I have an "account" (as in charge account) I simply couldn't get any, period. So I will be calling who we use at work and see if I can get any there.


Brian
 
#7 ·
i googled 'Acetylene shortage'.

first result was this thread and the next post that actually discussed a shortage on this planet was on the HAMB.
there is an extreme shortage of Acetylene on titan, one of Saturn's moons. (and lots of results)
there is also mention of this from 2005.

if there is a shortage, someone will step in and produce more as a matter of supply and demand.
 
#8 ·
I hope so, I know the guy I talked to at the welding supply was seriously bummed and said the rationing is "indefinite".

Brian
 
#9 ·
Well I would assume it is a local thing and not a world-wide shortage! :rolleyes: We had a shortage of Acetylene here some years ago due to a production problem and it was very similar to what MartinSr is saying is happening out there, lasted about a month or so and then seemed to get back to normal.
 
#10 ·
It's real

The acetylene shortage is real and indefinite, and nationwide. The only producer of calcium carbide in the US had a fire last week with 2 casualties and is shut down. Carbide is used in the production of acetylene. Acetylene suppliers are looking outside the US for other sources, but as you can imagine, the shortage will be long, the prices will rise, and there will be surcharges. Your best bet is to switch to propylene.

How do I know this info? I work for a welding supply distributor in the midwest.
 
#12 ·
This is bad news indeed! For cutting switching to Propylene or LP (isn't Propylene hard to get these days also? Just something I heard recently. :confused: ) would solve the problem and a lot of people might be pleasantly surprised at the huge cost savings. These alternative gases do work for that purpose but they simply are not a real replacement for Acetylene since they are not as versatile and Acetylene is necessary for gas welding. Because of cost and convenience I have been using LP for cutting for a long time now but I would certainly feel lost without having Acetylene on hand. This is good info (but bad news!) and those of us fortunate enough to have some Acetylene on hand had best be sparing with it.
 
#13 ·
shortage of aceylene

MARTINSR said:
I hope so, I know the guy I talked to at the welding supply was seriously bummed and said the rationing is "indefinite".

Brian
Brian, I couldn't call where I get it when you posted this, so I called today, the guy there, said he has plenty, and had not heard a thing about any shortage. One thing nice about living up here, everyone thinks it's too cold to visit, so I'm pretty sure we won't have a run on our Acetylene. :nono: :nono: :thumbup:

Bob
 
#15 ·
oldbill said:
Rumor I just heard is the company that caught fire is owned by an investment group and they are looking at collecting the insurance and walking away from the whole thing. This could be a very huge problem. We may not have Acetylene for years if this happens.



That could be but there is such a huge market for Acetylene I would think someone would step up and take over, just too much profit potential to ignore. Then there could very well be an ample supply from off-shore so maybe we will be importing Carbide like everything else. Whatever happens one thing we don't have to guess about and that is what is going to happen to the price!
 
#16 ·
shortage of Acetylene

oldred said:
That could be but there is such a huge market for Acetylene I would think someone would step up and take over, just too much profit potential to ignore. Then there could very well be an ample supply from off-shore so maybe we will be importing Carbide like everything else. Whatever happens one thing we don't have to guess about and that is what is going to happen to the price!
The guy I talked to said something about the fire, he said that the price would go up, but there is no shortage, he said it was all BS, investors were calling the shots just like with gasoline. those are all his words not mine. Don't shoot the messenger. :nono: :nono:

Bob
 
#18 ·
I have seen, but not used, an Acetylene generator and I have a nice collection of carbide lamps BUT both are useless without carbide and that is what there is a shortage of. The Acetylene shortage, contrived or real, would actually better be described as a shortage of carbide since that's where the Acetylene comes from.
 
#19 ·
This reminds me of a situation DuPont found itself in about 15-20 years ago. In Beaumont Texas was the U.S.'s largest methanol plant. Then one larger was built in Taiwan I believe and the price of methanol fell dramatically. DuPont decided to sell the Beaumont methanol plant for a little profit which they trumpeted loudly. Shortly after the sale of the Beaumont methanol plant the Taiwanese plant blew up and burned down creating a worldwide shortage of methanol. The firm that bought the Beaumont plant reaped a windfall.

Vince
 
#20 ·
If Carbide was just a convenience type of product there might be a long range shortage but whatever has happened it will be dealt with in one way or another. Carbide and Acetylene are necessary to industry and Carbide production will resume out of necessity although a price increase is almost a certainty, did I say ALMOST? :rolleyes:
 
#21 ·
acetylene shortage

Yes we are having a shortage it is nation wide it will last about 3 months so there will be shortages you will get your gas no problem. They may be a surcharge so yes t will go up . You do need acet for welding but if your heating or cutting use propane or one of our other fuel gases.available at your local dealer. Hope this helps. Most of.our home shops bottles stay full for.months so things will be figured out by then.
 
#22 ·
On Tuesday, the 29 of April our local Praxair dealer for New Brunswick told me

that I may not even get any acetylene due to the shortage. The driver had to

call their main office and see if I was able to receive any amount. I normally

use 2 to 4 large acetylene bottle every two weeks but this time only received 1

bottle. The driver didn't know if/ when the shortage was going to stop be he

assured me that it shouldn't be very long.
 
#23 ·
shortage of Acetylene

jonahb said:
On Tuesday, the 29 of April our local Praxair dealer for New Brunswick told me

that I may not even get any acetylene due to the shortage. The driver had to

call their main office and see if I was able to receive any amount. I normally

use 2 to 4 large acetylene bottle every two weeks but this time only received 1

bottle. The driver didn't know if/ when the shortage was going to stop be he

assured me that it shouldn't be very long.
You have been keeping this a secret for almost a year.LOL :rolleyes: :mwink: :thumbup:

Bob
 
#26 ·
I see my post was deleted. That's fine. My intention is not to spam but to let people know about other alternative fuel gases. This shortage situation is not bs. I've been in this industry for 12 years and have never one event impact it like this. I apologize if my post was seen as a pitch because that's not why I posted it. Don't believe me?? Look it up. I mean damn. God forbid someone try to introduce you to something new. It may take a while for the shortages to trickle down the line but it is real. I was hoping some info from inside the industry would help answer a question or two. That's it. Once again I'm sorry if it seemed like a pitch but I was honestly only trying to help. Look it up the stuff is actually great and "green" also.
 
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