It is highly toxic, flammable, and carcinogenic. National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) (2004). Inhibited vinyl chloride may be stored at normal atmospheric conditions in suitable pressure vessel. PVC pipe is what rural high schools with small budgets use to make goal posts for their football fields. Lester, D. et al. Often, the storage containers for the product vinyl chloride are high capacity spheres. The Dow Chemical Company. Vinyl chloride is an organochloride with the formula H2C=CHCl that is also called vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) or chloroethene. Polyvinyl chloride is produced in an addition polymerisation reaction from chloroethene (vinyl chloride) monomers: The monomer, chloroethene (or vinyl chloride), has a boiling point of -14 o C (259K) so it is a gas at room temperature and pressure. Under pressure, the gaseous chloroethene molecules are forced closer together to form a liquid. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). From its flake or pellet form PVC is sold to companies that heat and mold the PVC into end products such as PVC pipe and bottles. The US EPA and FDA limit vinyl chloride in drinking water to 0.002 ppm. The furnace effluent is immediately quenched with cold EDC to stop undesirable side reactions. Decreased male libido, spontaneous abortion, and birth defects are known major reproductive defects associated with vinyl chloride. It is produced commercially by combining a hydrocarbon feedstock, namely ethylene, obtained by cracking natural gas or petroleum, with elemental chlorine. The largest use for Vinyl Chloride Monomer is in the production of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) homopolymer and copolymer resins. Vol 19, 1979. [19] The complete loss of skin elasticity expresses itself in Raynaud’s Phenomenon.[21]. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Vinyl chloride is an organohalogen compound that has important industrial applications. Uninhibited vinyl chloride may be stored either under refrigeration or at normal atmospheric temperature in the absence of air or sunlight but only for a duration of a few days. Kaneka began mass-producing the material in 1950 with an integrated production process that extends from vinyl chloride monomer to polymer and special vinyl chloride resin. Dermal exposure effects are thickening of skin, edema, decreased elasticity, local frostbites, blistering, and irritation. [Note: Shipped as a liquefied compressed gas.] The explosive limits are: lower 4.0%, upper 22.05 by volume in air. More than half of the total VCM consumption is for construction-related applications, with pipe being the largest single product. PVC is produced from its monomer, vinyl chloride. School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. VCM is among the top twenty largest petrochemicals (petroleum-derived chemicals) in world production. The most commonly used plasticizer is the compound di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), also known as dioctyl phthalate (DOP). Plastic covers a wide rage of synthetic or semi-synthetic polymerization products (i.e. major industrial polymers: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is produced from Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) by a poly-merization reaction. This colourless compound is an important industrial chemical mainly used to produce the polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This page was last edited on 23 December 2020, at 07:13. It is mainly used in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Industry officials maintain that these substances are scrupulously controlled and are released from PVC in trace amounts that have not been proved harmful. Risk Assessment Information System (RAIS) (1993). IARC. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. It can be formed in the environment when soil organisms break down chlorinated solvents. Vinyl chloride is a mutagen having clastogenic effects which affect lymphocyte chromosomal structure. Polyvinyl chloride is produced by polymerization of the monomer vinyl chloride, as shown. On standing VCM can form peroxides, which may then explode. Vinyl chloride liquid is fed to polymerization reactors where it is converted from a monomeric VCM to a polymeric PVC. Some processes use an absorber-stripper system to separate HCl from the chlorinated hydrocarbons, while other processes use a refrigerated continuous distillation system. [19][21] Vinyl chloride is a Group 1 human carcinogen posing elevated risks of rare angiosarcoma, brain and lung tumors, and malignant haematopoeitic lymphatic tumors. The equipment used for VCM transport is specially designed to be impact and corrosion resistant.[14]. Updates? Public Health Reports. [22] Chronic exposure leads to common forms of respiratory failure (emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis) and focused hepatotoxicity (hepatomegaly, hepatic fibrosis). This production method is cheaper than preparing EDC from acetylene, which is why it has become the major route to vinyl chloride since the late 1950s. Vinyl chloride is stored as a liquid. It is used in practically all branches of industry including medical technology, e.g., in the ... after emulsification of the monomer in the aqueous phase one obtains an emulsion PVC. * This data for Bis(2-ethylhexyl)Phthalate and Vinyl Chloride Monomer apply to the pure form of the compound. Vinyl chloride (CH2=CHCl), also known as chloroethylene, is most often obtained by reacting ethylene with oxygen and hydrogen chloride over a copper catalyst. Science (2017). Even though residence time and temperature are carefully controlled, it produces significant quantities of chlorinated hydrocarbon side products. The findings in rats at the concentration of 4 to 10 ppm are shown in pictures." The presently accepted upper limit of safety as a health hazard is 500 ppm. For producing VCM, two methods generally are employed: the hydrochlorination of acetylene and the dehydrochlorination of ethylene dichloride (1,2-dichloroethane) or EDC. ", Harrison, Henrietta (2008). In order to arrive at a product that remains flexible, especially at low temperatures, most PVC is heated and mixed with plasticizers, which are sometimes added in concentrations as high as 50 percent. Polyvinyl Chloride Economical, versatile polyvinyl chloride (PVC, or vinyl) is used in a variety of applications in the building and construction, health care, electronics, automobile and other sectors, in products ranging from piping and siding, blood bags and tubing, to wire and cable insulation, windshield system components and more. Nat Catal (2020). When vinyl chloride producers shifted to using the thermal cracking of EDC described above, some used byproduct HCl in conjunction with a colocated acetylene-based unit. This is a plastic that has the following chemical formula: CH2=CHCl (see picture on the right). 91. OxyChem's affiliate OxyVinyls is the third-largest Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) supplier in the United States. PVC bottles and containers, however, can be recycled into products such as drainage pipe and traffic cones. Vinyl chloride is a chemical intermediate, not a final product and hence there are no end products that use vinyl chloride in its monomer form. This colorless compound is an important industrial chemical chiefly used to produce the polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC). A lightweight, rigid plastic in its pure form, it is also manufactured in a flexible “plasticized” form. Because of its low boiling point, liquid VCM will undergo flash evaporation (i.e., autorefrigerate) upon its release to atmospheric pressure. Polyvinyl chloride (/ˌpɒlivaɪnəl ˈklɔːraɪd/; [5] colloquial: polyvinyl, vinyl [6]; abbreviated: PVC) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic plastic polymer, after polyethylene and polypropylene. If for longer periods, regular checks should be made for the presence of polymers. [13], Transporting VCM presents the same risks as transporting other flammable gases such as propane, butane (LPG) or natural gas (for which the same safety regulations apply). PVC, in full polyvinyl chloride, a synthetic resin made from the polymerization of vinyl chloride. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) (2006). In 1912, Fritz Klatte, a German chemist working for Griesheim-Elektron, patented a means to produce vinyl chloride from acetylene and hydrogen chloride using mercuric chloride as a catalyst. "Clinical Manifestations in Vinyl Chloride Poisoning" Clinic of Professional Diseases. The direct feed of ethane to vinyl chloride plants could thus considerably decrease the raw material costs and make the plants less dependent on cracker capacity. PVC is a hard plastic that is made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizers, the most widely used being phthalates. A toxic and hazardous material, vinyl chloride has been classified as a group A, human carcinogen. Polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate and polyvinyl alcohol are examples of polyvinyl resins. Vinyl chloride that is released by industries or formed by the breakdown of other chlorinated chemicals can enter the air and drinking water supplies. Very fine particles of PVC can be dispersed in plasticizer in excess of the amount used to make plasticized PVC (e.g., 50 percent or more), and this suspension can be heated until the polymer particles dissolve. US Department of Health and Human Services. PVC is Polyvinyl Chloride. Flexible gloves can be made by dipping a hand-shaped form into plastisol, and hollow objects such as overshoes can be made by casting plastisol into a mold, pouring off the excess, and solidifying the material remaining on the walls of the mold. China is also a large manufacturer and one of the largest consumers of VCM. May 22–29, 1970. ", In 1997 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that the development and acceptance by the PVC industry of a closed loop polymerization process in the late 1970s "almost completely eliminated worker exposures" and that "new cases of hepatic angiosarcoma in vinyl chloride polymerization workers have been virtually eliminated. When used for car components, PVC thus helps to reduce the risk of injuries in case of accidents. When EDC in gas phase is heated to 500 °C at 15–30 atm (1.5 to 3 MPa) pressure, it decomposes to produce vinyl chloride and anhydrous HCl. Degradation during service life, or after careless disposal, is a chemical change that drastically reduces the average molecular weight of the polyvinyl chloride polymer. The ethylene formed can either be recycled or oxychlorinated and cracked in a conventional manner. They also recommended long-term animal toxicology studies. "Air quality guidelines for Europe." This colorless compound is an important industrial chemical chiefly used to produce PVC. VCM is used almost exclusively in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) manufacture. Pure PVC finds application in the construction trades, where its rigidity, strength, and flame resistance are useful in pipes, conduits, siding, window frames, and door frames. Weathering degradation of plastics results in their surface embrittlement and microcracking, yielding microparticles that continue on in the environment. It is one of the widely used chemical. "Vinyl chloride." The hazards of storing and shipping acetylene meant that the vinyl chloride facility needed to be located very close to the acetylene generating facility. This colorless compound is an important industrial chemical chiefly used to produce the polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Omissions? Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the mostly widely distributed plastic in the world. Second only to PE in production and consumption. manufacture is hazardous....various changes were found in bone and liver. [7], Vinyl chloride was first produced in 1835 by Justus von Liebig and his student Henri Victor Regnault. It is also called vinyl chloride monomer, or VCM. Fire may release toxic hydrogen chloride (HCl) and carbon monoxide (CO). Acetylene reacts with anhydrous hydrogen chloride gas over a mercuric chloride catalyst to give vinyl chloride: The reaction is exothermic and highly selective. As a gas mixed with air, VCM is a fire and explosion hazard. Vinyl chloride yields average 20–50% per pass. [31], In the late 1960s, the cancers that all of these studies warned of finally manifested themselves in workers. Jim Morris, "In Strictest Confidence. The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It is flammable, emitting hydrogen chloride. Plastisols can be made into products by being spread on fabric or cast into molds. In order to replace mercuric chloride in industrial applications gold[9] and platinum[10] based catalysts have recently been proposed as viable alternatives, ensuring economical viability by extremely low metal loading (nanostructuring to the single atom level). Plasticized or Flexible PVC (Density: 1.1-1.35 g/cm3): Flexible PVC is formed by the addition of compatible plasticizers to PVC which lower the crystallinity. "Vinyl chloride." The resultant fluid, called a plastisol, will remain liquid even after cooling but will solidify into a gel upon reheating. [15] Its flammable limits in air are: lower 3.6 volume% and upper 33.0 volume%. [11] Two methods are employed, the hydrochlorination of acetylene and the dehydrochlorination of ethylene dichloride (1,2-dichloroethane). Vinyl chloride is a chemical intermediate, not a final product. In the very first study about the dangers of vinyl chloride, published by Patty in 1930, it was disclosed that exposure of test animals to just a single short-term high dose of vinyl chloride caused liver damage. The portion vaporized will form a dense cloud (more than twice as heavy as the surrounding air). Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is very stable, storable, and nowhere near as acutely toxic as the vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). All of the raw materials and water for this reaction must be fi ltered during production to ensure a quality end product. PVC is used in the manufacture of numerous products, including packaging films and water pipes. Many such ethane-based processes have been and are being developed. Vinyl chloride has been used in the past as an anaesthetic and as an aerosol spray propellant but its principle use has been to produce the polymer, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or vinyl. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. These PVC resins are converted to products for a number of end-use markets. "Chemical Hazard Evaluation and Communication Group, Biomedical and Environmental Information Analysis Section, Health and Safety Research Division. It remains the main production method in China. This void area between the spheres is purged with an inert gas such as nitrogen. …(where X is Cl) gives polyvinyl chloride, or. [25] In 1963, research paid for in part by Allied Chemical found liver damage in test animals from exposures below 500 parts per million (ppm). [2] The United States currently remains the largest VCM manufacturing region because of its low-production-cost position in chlorine and ethylene raw materials. 355, 6332, 1399-1403, DOI: 10.1126/science.aal3439. Due to the hazardous nature of vinyl chloride to human health there are no end products that use vinyl chloride in its monomer form. Vinyl chloride finds its major application in the production of PVC. About 13 billion kilograms are produced annually. [3] Vinyl chloride is a gas with a sweet odor. long-chain carbon-based "organic" molecules) which name refers to the fact that in their semi-liquid state they are malleable, or have the property of plasticity. About 13 billion kilograms are produced annually. 2nd edition. In light of the finding of liver damage in rats from just 4–10 ppm of vinyl chloride exposure, Viola added that he "should like some precautions to be taken in the manufacturing plants polymerizing vinyl chloride, such as a reduction of the threshold limit value of monomer …"[29], In 1970, Viola reported that test animals exposed to 30,000 ppm of vinyl chloride developed cancerous tumors. VCM molecules are polymerized to form PVC resin, to which appropriate additives are incorporated to make a customized PVC compound. PVC is used in the manufacture of numerous products, including packaging films and water pipes. The discovery of this flexible, inert product was responsible for the commercial success of the polymer. "Pathology of Vinyl Chloride" International Congress on Occupational Health. et al. If vinyl chloride starts to leak from the internal sphere or if a fire is detected on the outside of the sphere then the contents of the sphere are automatically dumped into an emergency underground storage container. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is an important plastic resin for construction, pipe and tubing, siding, and other uses. Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) is a colourless gas with a characteristic mild, sweet odour. "The Correlation of Clinical and Environmental Measurements for Workers Exposed to Vinyl Chloride." Wilson, Rex H et al. Other products made from PVC resins include flooring, packaging film and sheet, and bottles. Environmentalists and health advocates raised concerns over the possible ill effects of exposure to substances such as residual vinyl chloride monomer, hydrogen chloride, organometallic stabilizers, and phthalate plasticizers. This is the PVC from which pipes are made, and PVC pipe The plumbing in your house is probably PVC pipe, unless it's an older house. Chlorine is derived from brine – a solution of common salt and water. Since about 57% of its mass is chlorine , creating a given mass of PVC … Vinyl chloride has also been used in the past as a refrigerant. The US OSHA limits vinyl chloride exposure of workers to no more than 1 ppm for eight hours or 5 ppm for 15 minutes. VCM will react with iron and steel in the presence of moisture. "Vinyl chloride, polyvinyl chloride, and vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers." As the nitrogen purge gas exits the void space it passes through an analyzer that is designed to detect if any vinyl chloride is leaking from the internal sphere. Patty, F.A. While this method was widely used during the 1930s and 1940s in the West, it has since been superseded by more economical processes based on ethylene in the United States and Europe. Commercial application of the plastic was at first limited by its extreme rigidity; however, in 1926, while trying to dehydrohalogenate PVC in a high-boiling solvent in order to obtain an unsaturated polymer that might bond rubber to metal, Waldo Lunsbury Semon, working for the B.F. Goodrich Company in the United States, produced what is now called plasticized PVC. Then, finally, on January 23, 1974, B.F. Goodrich informed the government and issued a press release stating that it was "investigating whether the cancer deaths of three employees in the polyvinyl chloride operations at its Louisville, Ky. plant were related to occupational causes. International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) (1999). A major drawback to the use of ethane are the forcing conditions required for its use, which can be attributed to its lack of molecular functionality. Ethylene, ethyl chloride, and 1,2-dichloroethane are obtained as major byproducts. Nanostructuring unlocks high performance of platinum single-atom catalysts for stable vinyl chloride production. Vinyl chloride.". [36], Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their, Malta, G., Kondrat, SA., Freakley, SJ., Davies, CJ., Lu, L., Dawson, S., Thetford, A., Gibson, E., Morgan, DJ., Jones, W., Wells, PP., Johnston, P. Catlow, CRA., Kiely, CJ., Hutchings, GJ. Viola began his research looking for the cause of liver and bone injuries found in vinyl chloride workers. [24] In 1954, B.F. Goodrich Chemical stated that vinyl chloride caused liver injury upon short-term exposures. Th e remaining It is also blow-molded into clear, transparent bottles. Ethylene is made from ethane by cracking ethane and then ethylene is used for production of vinyl chloride. Maltoni, C. "Cancer Detection and Prevention" (1972) Presented at the Second International Symposium on Cancer Detection and Prevention. In the U.S., OSHA lists vinyl chloride as a Class IA Flammable Liquid, with a National Fire Protection Association Flammability Rating of 4. "Effects of Single and Repeated Exposures of Humans and Rats to Vinyl Chloride" Laboratory of applied biodynamics, Yale University and Department of Pathology. 1,2-Dichloroethane, ClCH2CH2Cl (also known as ethylene dichloride, EDC), can be prepared by halogenation of ethane or ethylene, inexpensive starting materials. The vinyls chain, comprising ethylene dichloride (EDC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), is a key component of the global petrochemical and thermoplastics sectors. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/science/polyvinyl-chloride, ChemicalSafetyFacts.org - Polyvinyl Chloride. Kramer, G.C., M.D. PVC comes in two basic forms: rigid and flexible. Vinyl chloride is a common contaminant found near landfills. The reaction must, therefore, be kinetically controlled in order to obtain a maximal vinyl chloride yield. Suciu, I et al. Product purity and yields are generally very high. "Toxicology of Plastics and Rubber- Plastomers and Monomers." Chloroethene, Chloroethylene, Ethylene monochloride, Monochloroethene, Monochloroethylene, VC, VCM, Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) Colorless gas or liquid (below 7°F) with a pleasant odor at high concentrations. "[32], The Houston Chronicle claimed in 1998 that the vinyl industry manipulated vinyl chloride studies to avoid liability for worker exposure and hid extensive and severe chemical spills in local communities. Today, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) is produced as a intermediate chemical by the process of either hydrochlorination of acetylene, or the dehydrochlorination of ethylene dichloride (EDC). A major thermoplastic material with a very wide variety of applications, the essential materials for polyvinyl chloride are derived from oil and salt. Prior to 1974, workers were commonly exposed to 1,000 ppm vinyl chloride, causing "vinyl chloride illness" such as acroosteolysis and Raynaud's Phenomenon. The final product of the polymerization process is PVC in either a flake or pellet form. The symptoms of vinyl chloride exposure are classified by ppm levels in ambient air with 4,000 ppm having a threshold effect. Bologna, April 9–12, 1973. Monomer-Polymer & Dajac Laboratories Inc. is a manufacturer and supplier of specality monomers, speciality polyners, diagnoctic reagents, flourinated monomers, reactive surfactants, epoxy resins and oligomers and other speciality chemicals. Continuous exposure can cause CNS depression including euphoria and disorientation. The main polymerization methods include suspension, emulsion, and bulk (mass) methods. PVC piping, first introduced in 1952, is the largest single market for PVC. Several inches of empty space separate the inside sphere from the outside sphere. In contrast to ethylene, which easily undergoes chlorine addition, ethane must first be functionalized by substitution reactions, which gives rise to a variety of consecutive and side-chain reactions. PVC geomembranes are made from PVC resin, plasticizer (s), fillers, and additives. Exposures to vinyl chloride monomer during the early years of production resulted in an important sentinel health event: the recognition of an excess of a rare liver cancer, hepatic angiosarcoma, at facilities throughout the world. In practice, the yield for EDC conversion is relatively low (50 to 60 percent). Kaiser, S.K., Fako, E., Manzocchi, G. et al. The chemical industry's secrets,", National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Vinyl Chloride Subpart F, OMB Control Number 2060-0071, EPA ICR Number 0186.09 (, EPA Toxicological Review of Vinyl Chloride in Support of Information on the IRIS. About 80% of production involves suspension polymerization. UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Environment Agency (EA) (2004). [6] Vinyl chloride was briefly used as an inhalational anaesthetic, in a similar vein to ethyl chloride, though its toxicity forced this practice to be abandoned. Under the trademark Koroseal, Goodrich made the plastic into shock-absorber seals, electric-wire insulation, and coated cloth products. Klaus Weissermel, Hans-Jürgen Arpe in "Industrial organic chemistry", "Occupational Safety and Health Guideline for Vinyl Chloride"1988. When treated with certain catalysts, vinyl chloride monomers undergo polymerization and form the larger compound known as polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. Atlanta, US. According to OSHA, the flash point of vinyl chloride is −78 °C (−108.4 °F). International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) (1997).