It has long been known that acetylene, given its thermodynamic characteristics, which make it unstable under certain conditions of temperature and pressure, is stored and sold in cylinders, dissolved in special 5 solvents, usually acetone or dimethylformamide: Use is made of the high solubility of the said gas in the abovementioned solvents, which allow it to be handled very safely.

Acetone or dimethylformamide or solvents with

10 analogous properties are normally absorbed on porous masses having a monolithic structure, which completely fill the acetylene cylinder. One of the principal func¬ tions of the porous mass consists in preventing possible strikeback of flames which may develop

15 downstream from the cylinder, and to block, from the outset, acetylene decomposition phenomena inside the actual cylinder, initiated by external causes such as localised overheating or others.

It is therefore particularly important that such

20 filling materials should not exhibit empty spaces, cavities or interstices which might initiate dangerous decomposition phenomena. On the other hand, however, the materials must possess high porosity to facilitate

^< -*• the absorption and the subsequent release of the acety-

25 lene when it is being used. The material must further¬ more be incombustible, inert towards acetylene and its solvents, and light-weight, and must possess special strength properties which make it virtually unalterable, namely not prone to fissuring and dis-

integrating to powder over the course of years.

Very good results have been obtained with masses having a silico-calcium composition, forming the sub¬ ject of various patents, with the addition of binders, asbestos being particularly preferred, which impart to the whole a support skeleton with the twofold purpose of improving the strength and plasticity of the final mass and of maintaining the various constituents in suspension in the fluid mixture, from the stage of preparation of the mixture through to the stage of setting in the subsequent oven-baking stage.

Certain recent patents (EP 56,645; EP 64,916; EP 262,031; USP 4,970,246) propose replacing the asbestos (which is known to have toxic properties) with other fibres, with or without addition of suspending agents and thickeners necessary to maintain uniform fibre distribution and to avoid sedimentation of the solids prior to oven-setting.

The present invention relates to the preparation of a porous mass of silico-calcium composition, free from asbestos and containing inorganic synthetic fibres based on carbon and, optionally, vermiculite and mineral substances having colloidal properties.

These inorganic synthetic fibres based on carbon, widely used as a reinforcement in composite materials, are distinguished by their low weight, high resistance to chemical agents, high mechanical strength and excellent behaviour at high temperatures. They are commercially available in various grades and with various properties, depending on the method of prepara¬ tion and on the subsequent treatments to which they

have been subjected in order to impart particular pro¬

< perties. Further, their diameter and their length can vary within a range of values; fibres with a diameter of between 3 and 12 microns and a length of between 2 5 and 12 mm are normally used within the scope of the invention, though it is also possible to obtain good results with fibres of diameter and length different from those mentioned above. According to the invention, the content of inorganic synthetic fibres based on

10 carbon is less than or equal to 12% by weight relative to the dry porous mass.

Certain specific surface treatments carried out on the fibre can be particularly useful in homogenising the mixture, just as a particular design and special

15 configurations can improve its adhesion to the silico- calcium structure.

The dispersion and homogenisation of the fibres in the mixture can be facilitated by the optional use of additives having a dispersing and densifying action.

20 Examples of such additives are cellulose derivatives, such as carboxymethylcellulose or hydroxypropyl- cellulose, and polyethers, such as polyethylene glycol. Additives of the inorganic type, having a thixotropic effect, which achieve the same objective, may also be

25 advisable.

A further modification to the composition of the mixture can be made by adding to the normal components (consisting of water, lime, crystalline quartz powder and inorganic synthetic fibres based on carbon) a

30 varying percentage, always less than 20%, of vermi¬ culite which, in the expanded state, has interesting

properties related to its lightness, non-combustibility and chemical inertness. Its crosslinked open granular structure gives the mass a low thermal conductivity and a high insulating power; its chemical inertness is such as to remain unaffected even after attack by strong alkalis, of which lime is one, at high temperatures and pressures.

In one of its alternative embodiments, the porous mass of the invention can be prepared under certain conditions solely with lime and crystalline quartz powder, without the presence of inorganic synthetic fibres based on carbon, but with the addition of vermiculite in percentages of between 5 and 20%.

The particle size of the vermiculite can be chosen from among the various commercially available types, ranging from powder products to granular products with grain sizes of between about 1 and 10 mm.

In certain cases it may prove difficult to obtain homogeneous mixtures which do not give rise to sedimentation phenomena in the first baking stage, with dangerous formation of voids within the ogival space of the cylinder.

These disadvantages can be avoided by adjusting the composition of the mixture through addition of particular substances having a thixotropic effect.

Satisfactory results have been obtained with mineral substances such as aluminium/magnesium double silicates of a colloidal type which upon appropriate dispersion in water, with formation of a gel, give excellent thickening properties. Their percentage, calculated relative to the final dry product, is less

«*, than 13%.

The thickening produced avoids separation of the components of the mixture and ensures a homogeneous final composition in the porous mass. 5 Various grades are commercially available, marketed under original trade names, such as, for example, the "Attager^ ¹ range, produced in the United States by Engelhard Corporation.

These products, essentially consisting of hydrated

10 silicates of aluminium and magnesium, have a composition somewhat comparable to that of the silico- calcium mass and blend well with the said mass, giving homogeneous .mixtures which after baking attain a high consistency.

15 According to the invention, the porous mass is prepared by mixing the lime into water (slaking of the lime) and stirring in the inorganic synthetic fibre based on carbon, the vermiculite (if used), the densifier and the crystalline quartz powder.

20 Once it has become homogeneous, the mixture is filled into the cylinders and then subjected to baking and to a final drying.

In certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the ratios of the ingredients are 1:1 - 1:1.3 in

25 respect of calcium oxide and quartz powder; 1:0.5 - 1:0.09 in respect of quartz powder and vermi¬ culite; and 1:2.6 in respect of densifier and quartz powder.

The abovementioned ratios do not imply a

30 limitation, and a different combination of the ingredients does not fall outside the scope of the

invention.

The examples which follow further illustrate the invention. Example 1 In a mixer provided with a multi-speed helical stirrer, 13.5 kg of quicklime are slaked in 70 kg of water at a temperature of 35°C, with gentle stirring. After 20 minutes, a further 30 kg of water are added and the hydration is continued for a further hour. Thereafter, 1.5 kg of inorganic synthetic fibres based on carbon, the fibres having a length of 3 mm, are added slowly, a little at a time, and the mixture is homogenised for 15 minutes at high speed. The mixture is then completed by adding, under constant stirring, 280 g of a densifier and 14.1 kg of crystalline quartz powder.

After a further two hours, the very fluid and homogeneous mixture can be introduced directly into the cylinders which should then be immediately subjected to the subsequent baking stage under pressure at a temperature o.f 180 ^β C.

After drying at 280°C, the mass obtained is homogeneous and has a density of 270 g/litre and a porosity of 91.4%. The compressive strength is between 30 and 45 kg/cm ² . Example 2

First, the milk of lime is prepared in accordance with the procedure illustrated in Example 1, by slaking 12.8 kg of quicklime in 103.2 kg of water at a temperature of 45°C. Thereafter, 3 kg of vermiculite are added, followed, in successive stages, by 1.2 kg of

inorganic synthetic fibre based on carbon, 13.2 kg of crystalline quartz powder and 250 g of densifier. The stirring is continued at 150 revolutions per minute until the mixture is homogeneous. The procedure in total requires about 3 hours.

The porous mass obtained after baking has a density of 275 g/litre and a porosity of 89%. The vermiculite and the fibre are found to be perfectly distributed in the mass, the compressive strength of

2 which is about 26 kg/cm .

Example 3

130 kg of water heated to a temperature of 50°C are treated, in the mixer of Example 1, with 14.5 kg of quicklime of particle size less than 6 mm, with slow stirring. After one hour and 30 minutes, 17.2 kg of crystalline quartz powder are added and stirring is continued at about 100 revolutions per minute for a further two hours.

Thereafter there are added, successively, 340 g of densifier and 6.9 kg of vermiculite in granules of 1-2 mm size. It suffices to continue dispersion for 30 minutes, after which it is possible to proceed to filling the cylinders and to the subsequent customary baking. The mass obtained has a density of 268 g/litre and a porosity of about 86%. Example 4

18.6 kg of quicklime are treated in the mixer (with stirring at 70 revolutions per minute) with 140 kg of water at a temperature of 40 ^C C. After a period of 1 hour 30 minutes, 1.63 kg of synthetic

inorganic fibres based on carbon and having a chemically treated surface are added slowly, a little at a time, with the stirring being increased to 180 revolutions per minute for a further 15 minutes. After this time, 20.5 kg of crystalline quartz powder are added, with mixing continuing for a further hour at a lower speed. Finally, a colloidal suspension consisting of 3.1 kg of "Attagel®' and 17.7 kg of water are poured into the mixer, the said suspension having been prepared beforehand in a secondary mixer equipped with a high speed stirrer. A final stirring for 20 minutes suffices to obtain a homogeneous mixture which does not undergo sedimentation.

At the end of the procedure, the baked mass has a density of 260 g/litre and a compressive strength

2 greater than 25 kg/cm .