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Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Sixth Edition, 2002 Electronic Release CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS - Chloroethylenes (Manfred Rossberg, Wilhelm Lendle, Gerhard Pfleiderer, Adolf Tögel, Eberhard-Ludwig Dreher, Ernst Langer, Heinz Rassaerts, Peter Kleinschmidt et al.)

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3. Chloroethylenes
The class of chloroethylene comprises: Vinyl chloride(monochloroethylene, VCM) 1,1-Dichloroethylene (vinylidene chloride) cis- and trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene Trichloroethylene (Tri) Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene, Per, Perc).  Continued ...

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3.1. Vinyl Chloride (VCM)
In addition to ethylene and NaOH, vinyl chloride [75-01-4] is one of the world's most important commodity chemicals. The 1984 worldwideconsumption averaged 12–15 million t/a. About 25% of the world's total chlorine production is required for its production. The importance of vinyl chloride results from the widespread use of poly(vinyl chloride), one of the most important polymers. The first synthesis of vinyl chloride dates back to 1830–1834 when V. REGNAULT obtained it by dehydrochlorinating 1,2-dichloroethane withalcoholic potash. In 1902, it was obtained by BILTZ during thermal cracking of the same compound. However, at that time, the state of the art in polymer science and technology was not very sophisticated, and this discovery did not lead to industrial or commercial consequences. The basic work of F. KLATTE [323] on the polymerization of vinylic compounds gave rise to the industrial production of vinylchloride in the 1930s. Vinyl chloride was obtained by KLATTE in 1912 through catalytic hydrochlorination of acetylene [324]. This route was almost exclusively used for nearly 30 years. Because of the high energy requirements for acetylene production, its replacement by a cheaper substitute was a challenge for a long time. From 1940–1950 on, acetylene could be partially replaced by ethylene, fromwhich vinyl chloride was produced by direct chlorination to 1,2-dichloroethane and subsequent thermal cracking. The first large

Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Sixth Edition, 2002 Electronic Release © Wiley-VCH. Weinheim. Germany. Page: 1

Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Sixth Edition, 2002 Electronic Release CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS - Chloroethylenes (ManfredRossberg, Wilhelm Lendle, Gerhard Pfleiderer, Adolf Tögel, Eberhard-Ludwig Dreher, Ernst Langer, Heinz Rassaerts, Peter Kleinschmidt et al.)

production units for this route were first constructed by Dow Chemical Co., Monsanto Chemical Co. and the Shell Oil Co. In these plants, the balance of HCl generated by dichloroethane cracking, however, was still achieved by acetylene hydrochlorination. Thecomplete changeover to the exclusive use of ethylene as a feedstock became possible when the largescale oxychlorination of ethylene to 1,2-dichloroethane (see Oxychlorination of Ethylene in the Gas Phase. ) had been proven to be technically feasible (Dow Chemical, 1955–1958). Since then, most plants use integrated, balanced DC–EDC–Oxy–EDC–VCM processes and more than 90% of the vinylchloride presently produced in the Western World is based exclusively on ethylene. In addition to its use as an intermediate in the production of trichloroethane (1,1,1- and 1,1,2trichloroethane), most vinyl chloride is used for polymerization to PVC. With the use of plasticizers and because of its high energy efficiency, PVC has become one of the most important industrial polymers. Even though it isone of the oldest polymers, its ready availability, relatively inexpensive production by large plants, and the continuing development of new formulations [325] with widespread uses secure its attractiveness in the future. Several VCM plants were under construction in 1986. Due to the feedstock and market situation, the new plants will be preferentially located either in oil-producing or in...