Acetylene is a chemical compound composed of two carbon and two hydrogen atoms with the formula C₂H₂. The two carbon atoms are held together by what is known as a triple carbon bond having a CH bond angle of 180 deg.

Acetylene is one of the well-known fuel gases used across the world. It is also one of the most dangerous gases owing to its properties. It is unstable in its pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution. Pure Acetylene is odorless, but commercial grades usually have a marked odor due to impurities such as divinyl sulfide and phosphine.

Acetylene is one of the most popular dissolved gases used today. Being chemically unstable, it can decompose at room temperature if above 15 PSIG. Therefore Acetylene is compressed into a cylinder with an inert, porous mass made of calcium silicate. This mass is saturated with acetone to help absorb the Acetylene. When introduced into the cylinder, acetylene gas slowly dissolves into the acetone, which can easily absorb up to 8 times the quantity of Acetylene compared to a mass without acetone. Acetylene is considered to be the hottest and most efficient of all fuel gases. It is also known for its strong localized heating capacity.