Processes for the production of acetylene in the XXth century. Main trends of their development within the paradigm of low-carbon economy of the future

The review considers methods for the production of acetylene, both the industrially implemented methods having a long history and the new ones that are at the step of laboratory studies and bench testing. The authors discuss the possibility of moving from the processes of acetylene production accompanied by the emission of considerable amounts of greenhouse gases (the carbide method, oxidative pyrolysis of natural gas) to the low-carbon or carbon-free plasmochemical processes of natural gas and coal processing with the use of energy generated by renewable sources (wind energy and solar energy).