Calcium carbide, also known as calcium acetylide, is a chemical compound with the chemical formula of CaC. Its main use industrially is in the production of acetylene and calcium cyanamide.
The pure material is colorless, while pieces of technical-grade calcium carbide are grey or brown and consist of about 80–85% of CaC (the rest is CaO (calcium oxide), CaP (calcium phosphide), CaS (calcium sulfide), CaN (calcium nitride), SiC (silicon carbide), etc.). In the presence of trace moisture, technical-grade calcium carbide emits an unpleasant odor reminiscent of garlic.
Applications of calcium carbide include manufacture of acetylene gas, generation of acetylene in carbide lamps, manufacture of chemicals for fertilizer, and steelmaking.