Production of acetylene and reactor therefor

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ACETYLENE BY REACTION OF A GASIFORM HYDROCARBON WITH OXYGEN IN A REACTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 2500* F., THE IMPROVEMENT FOR PRODUCING SAID ACETYLENE IN A CONCENTRATION IN EXCESS OF 7% BY VOLUME IN THE RESULTING REACTION GASES WHICH COMPRISES: FORMING AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW ABOUT 600* F. A UNIFORM MIXTURE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OIF SAID HYDROCARBON AND OXYGEN OF MORE THAN 90% BY VOLUME PURITY IN THE PROPORTIONS OF ABOUT 0.45 TO 0.65 MOL OF OXYGEN PER MOL OF CARBON ATOMS IN SAID HYDROCARBON, PASSING AND MIXTURE AT HIGH VELOCITY THROUGH AN EXTERNALLY HEATED TUBE OF SMALL DIAMETER, SAID VELOCITY BEING IN EXCESS OF 100 FEET PER SECOND WHERE SAID MIXTURE ATTAINS A TEMPERATURE OF 1000* F., AND DISCHARGING SAID MIXTURE THUS PREHEATED TO A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 1100* F. BUT WITHOUT PREIGNITION FROM SAID HEATED TUBE AND THENCE AT DECREASED VELOCITY THROUGH A PERMEABLE REFRACTORY BARRIER HAVING TORTUOUS GAS PASSAGEWAYS INTO SAID REACTION ZONE WHEREIN THE THUS DISCHARGED MIXTURE IS SELF-SUFFICIENT IN MAINTAINING THE DESIRED REACTION AT SAID TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 25000* F.