The century-old challenge of transporting acetylene may have been solved in principle by a team of scientists that have probed the atomic-level workings of a metal-organic framework (MOF), a lattice-like structure made of copper oxide and benzene, that soaks up acetylene like a sponge. Using tools at the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR), the scientists have shown that exposed copper atoms within the lattice give the MOF its talent at storing acetylene. The findings, according to NCNR physicist Yun Liu, could be of use to the chemical industry in the future.
“This discovery could provide substantial savings in acetylene transportation costs,” says Liu, a member of the research team, which also included scientists from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Acetylene, widely used in decades past for welding and illumination, is now also valuable as a starting point for synthesizing a range of chemicals used in plastics and explosives. In the United States alone, several hundred thousand tons of acetylene are produced every year, but its volatility renders it difficult to transport: It becomes dangerously explosive at about 30 psi (207 kilopascal), only about twice normal atmospheric pressure.
To safely store acetylene, storage cylinders have to be filled with both porous material and liquid solvents such as acetone.
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