Calciumcarbide is a chemical compound containing calcium and carbide, with a chemical formula of CaC2. Pure calciumcarbide is colorless, but most of the material is produced industrially, and is somewhat impure, giving it a black or grayish-white color, depending on the quality. The main use for calciumcarbide is in the production of the flammable gas acetylene.
It is necessary to produce calciumcarbide industrially, because it is not naturally occurring in large amounts. Very high temperatures, on the order of 3630 degrees Fahrenheit (2000 degrees C) are necessary to produce the material. It is made in a type of furnace called an electric arc furnace, which can reach temperatures much hotter than those that are obtained through simple combustion. The basic chemical process used to make the material has not changed since it was discovered in 1888.