How is Chlorine and Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) manufactured?
PVC production is a major user of chlorine, consuming around 35% of the manufactured chlorine in the world. Chlorine is used in many products we rely on – medicines, water disinfection, paper and paints to name a few. Chlorine plays a key role in many chemical processes. Whilst there are many naturally occurring compounds containing chlorine it does not naturally exist in its pure state. The manufacture of chlorine involves the breaking down of common salt by electrolysis into chlorine and caustic soda (used in other industrial processes such as aluminium refining). Chlorine is reacted with Ethylene to form VCM which is then polymerised to form PVC.
