Plasma-Chemical Production of Acetylene from Hydrocarbons: History and Current Status (A Review)

This work is dedicated to the 115th anniversary of the birth of L.S. Polak, an outstanding Russian academician and researcher, a promoter and historian of science, and one of the founding fathers of plasma chemistry. The review summarizes the achievements of his scientific school in the plasma chemistry of hydrocarbons. The reactions that occur during the production of acetylene from methane and other hydrocarbons in thermal plasma—reactions studied comprehensively by L.S. Polak and his co-workers—are discussed in the historical context based on the available publications on industrial acetylene production.