Vinyl chloride is produced on a substantial scale – approximately 31.1 million tons (7.5 Bel tons) were produced in 2000. Two methods are employed, the hydrochlorination of acetylene and the dehydrochlorination of ethylene dichloride (1,2-dichloroethane).
Manufacturing details from ethylene dichloride
Direct chlorination
The production of vinyl chloride from 1,2-dichloroethane (EDC) consists of a series of well-defined steps. EDC is prepared by reacting ethylene and chlorine. In the presence of iron(III) chloride as a catalyst, these compounds react exothermically:
CH2=CH2 + Cl2 → ClCH2CH2Cl
This process is very selective, resulting in high purity EDC and high yields. However any dissolved catalyst and moisture must be removed before EDC enters the VCM production process.
Thermal cracking
When heated to 500 °C at 15–30 atm (1.5 to 3 MPa) pressure, EDC vapor decomposes to produce vinyl chloride and anhydrous HCl.
ClCH2CH2Cl → CH2=CHCl + HCl
The thermal cracking reaction is highly endothermic, and is generally carried out in a fired heater. Even though residence time and temperature are carefully controlled, it produces significant quantities of chlorinated hydrocarbon side products. In practice, EDC conversion is relatively low (50 to 60 percent). The furnace effluent is immediately quenched with cold EDC to stop undesirable side reactions. The resulting vapor-liquid mixture then goes to a purification system. Some processes use an absorber-stripper system to separate HCl from the chlorinated hydrocarbons, while other processes use a refrigerated continuous distillation system.
Oxychlorination
Modern VCM plants use recycled HCl to produce more EDC via oxychlorination, which entails the reaction of ethylene, oxygen and hydrogen chloride over a copper(II) chloride catalyst to produce EDC:
CH2=CH2 + 2 HCl + ½ O2 → ClCH2CH2Cl + H2O.
The reaction is highly exothermic.
Due to the relatively low cost of ethylene, compared to acetylene, most vinyl chloride has been produced via this technique since the late 1950s. This is despite the lower yields, lower product purity and higher costs for waste treatment. By-products of the oxychlorination reaction, may be recovered, as feedstocks for chlorinated solvents production. One useful byproduct of the oxychlorination is ethyl chloride, a topical anesthetic.
Waste treatment
For environmental reasons, the acidic aqueous wastestream is treated to remove organic compounds and neutralized before it can be sent to the plant’s “outfall”. An outfall is a monitored wastewater stream that must conform to the plant’s standards. Some very hazardous wastes are generated in the recovery of the product vinyl chloride. These wastes require specialized procedures. These wastes are burned onsite in hazardous waste burners that again are subject to strict standards.
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