人类为了自己的需要只利用自然的恩赐,如石油、煤、草药、动物性染料、植物性染料等等的时代早已过去了。在今天化学实验室不仅在有机物的合成方面,胜利地和自然相竞赛,而且还时常创造了自然界中所没有的新物质。在这方面乙炔化学取得了惊人的胜利。以煤和石灰这样便宜的原料为基础,得到了酒精、醋酸、橡胶、塑胶、优良的丝、人造皮革、贵重的油漆和胶黏剂、不碎玻璃等等。不但如此,也就是从这个原料得到了维生素、激素和血液代用品。把阿基米德(Archimedes)的名言改变一下,现代的化学家可以感叹地说:“给我乙炔, The era in which mankind uses only natural gifts for his own needs, such as oil, coal, herbs, animal dyes, botanical dyes, and the like, is long gone. Today chemistry labs compete not only for the synthesis of organic matter, triumphantly with nature, but often also for new things not found in nature. Acetylene chemistry has achieved amazing success in this area. Based on such cheaper raw materials as coal and lime, alcohol, acetic acid, rubber, plastic, fine silk, artificial leather, expensive paints and adhesives, broken glass, etc. are obtained. Not only that, but vitamins, hormones and blood substitutes are obtained from this raw material. To change Archimedes’ famous quote, modern chemists can exclaim: "Give me acetylene,