Process for high recovery of acetylene and lime from the reaction of calcium carbide with water

A process for controlling the temperature in a continuous production of acetylene and hydrated lime from the reaction of water with calcium carbide wherein the temperature is independent of the variations in the rate of withdrawal of acetylene, the process comprising;

• introducing calcium carbide to a reaction zone at a rate corresponding stoichiometrically with the rate of withdrawal of acetylene,
• continuously adding water to the reaction zone to maintain an excess of water with respect to reaction of calcium carbide with water and to maintain a constant liquid inventory in the reaction zone,
• withdrawing the acetylene,
• withdrawing the hydrated lime,
• controllably regulating the heat transfer to the environment or to at least a portion of an inlet water stream at a rate to maintain the temperature in the reaction zone at an essentially constant temperature.

A process for producing acetylene and a high concentration hydrated lime slurry from the reaction of calcium carbide with water, the process comprising;

• continuously introducing the calcium carbide into a reaction zone in which the calcium carbide is reacted with an excess of water to form acetylene and hydrated lime,
• segregating particle impurities freed from the calcium carbide as it reacts and withdrawing the particle impurities,
• allowing the hydrated lime to settle in a settling zone into a dense zone as a hydrated lime slurry free of the withdrawn particle impurities,
• continuously withdrawing hydrated lime slurry from the dense zone at a rate low enough to maintain the slurry at a concentration of hydrated lime above 14 weight percent.