<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations . Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations . (May 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations . Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations . (May 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> Oxy - fuel welding (commonly called oxyacetylene welding, oxy welding, or gas welding in the U.S.) and oxy - fuel cutting are processes that use fuel gases and oxygen to weld and cut metals, respectively . French engineers Edmond Fouché and Charles Picard became the first to develop oxygen - acetylene welding in 1903 . Pure oxygen, instead of air, is used to increase the flame temperature to allow localized melting of the workpiece material (e.g. steel) in a room environment . A common propane / air flame burns at about 2,250 K (1,980 ° C; 3,590 ° F), a propane / oxygen flame burns at about 2,526 K (2,253 ° C; 4,087 ° F), an oxyhydrogen flame burns at 3,073 K (2,800 ° C; 5,072 ° F), and an acetylene / oxygen flame burns at about 3,773 K (3,500 ° C; 6,332 ° F). </P> <P> Oxy - fuel is one of the oldest welding processes, besides forge welding . In recent decades it has been obsolesced in almost all industrial uses due to various arc welding methods offering more consistent mechanical weld properties and faster application . Gas welding is still used for metal - based artwork and in smaller home based shops, as well as situations where accessing electricity (e.g., via an extension cord or portable generator) would present difficulties . </P>

In the underwater oxyfuel gas cutting process what keeps the water away from the preheating flames