Calcium Carbide

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Infobox on Calcium Carbide
Example of Calcium Carbide
Calcium Carbide-1.jpg
Facts
Origin
Stowage factor (in m3/t)
Humidity / moisture
Ventilation
Risk factors

Calcium Carbide

Description

Greyish-black irregular hard lumps or powder. Shipped in water-tight and air-tight metal containers.

If containers burst due to rough handling, the contents will suffer damage. The remaining contents may decompose due to the absorption of water from the air, consequent upon exposure. The product resulting from the incidental chemical change may be either:

  • A ‘bone dry’ finely powdered talc-like substance (Calcium Hydroxide), which when brought into contact with water will only give a very poor and insignificant yield of acetylene, as it will be almost entirely composed of ‘slaked lime’, or
  • A sludge.


Since calcium carbide is known to evolve acetylene only slowly when exposed to damp air, the condition described as above would indicate that the actual wetting and/or commencement of exposure must have taken place quite some time prior to arrival at destination.

Reference is made to the relevant IMO regulations on hazardous cargo.

Full information on this product is in the process of completion.