<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>
in the underwater oxyfuel gas cutting process what keeps the water away from the preheating flames
Oxy - fuel welding