Document mmYYGjjV4aOMkKx3o2BOOVxdg

INTERNAL CORRESPONDENCE CHEMICALS AND RUSTICS to in<nw) Division m'on Hr. R. N. Wheeler South Charleston Plant P. O. BOX 8361, SOUTH CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA 25303 o.nm/triro o?r. October $, 1974 Engineering History of Vinyl Chloride Production by Union Carbide Dear Mr. Wheeler: In response to your question as to when Union Carbide first made vinyl chloride commercially, I am attaching the first page of a report "The Manufacture of Crude Vinyl Chloride." This report is report number 3 in a volume of reports entitled Vinyl Chloride - 1927~1941 Miscellany, Volume I, Engineering Department, Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Company, South Charleston, West Virginia. Unfortunately, the author of the report is not identified, and the report 1$ not dated. Nevertheless, the attached page indicates that vinyl chloride production by Carbide began in 1929. Very truly yours, 9^' /**** ^ W. R. Manning Engineering Manager Vinyl Monomers and Resins WRMimd Attachment ucc 067984 THE MANUFACTURE OF CRUDE VINYL CHLORIDE I, HISJORif: The flrat record of the production of by-product vinyl chloride le in the weekly progress reports of the research department. The first experimental work on record of the manufacture of vinyl chloride from the hydrolysis of ethylene dichloride In caustic solutions Is contained In the report mentioned in the references* Prior to December, 1929, the daoand for vinyl chloride was met by the recovery of by-product vinyl chloride made during the hydrolysis of ethylene dichloride to ethylene, glycol. From December, 1929, to July, 1931, short runs were made on the #2 dichloride hydrolysis unit to produce vinyl chloride* This crude vinyl chloride eaa refined in a snail still In building 42. During July, 1931, the vinyl chloride refining atlll at the Vlnyllte department was put In operation* The vinyl chloride still In building 48 was dlsnmtled. Sines JUly, 1931, all of the vinyl chloride used at the Vinylite department has been produced by the hydrolysis of ethylene dichloride in a caustic solution. Sketch 10099 shoes the production of vinyl chloride sines 1928. Operating conditions and equipment have often been changed in efforts to determine the most economical process to obtain the best product. A stannary of these obanges and the results will bo given. Hie length of time, and frequency that tills unit is run Is determined by the demand of the Vlnyllte department. During 1932 and 1933 the unit ran shout five days each month. II. PHYSICAL PRtrSRTTSS: A. Products; 1. Vinyl Chloride; Molecular weight Specific Gravity at B.F. ' Boiling Point Latent heat of vaporization (calculated) 62.49 ,9692 -13.9*C. 183 BTO/lb. . ' J ucc 067985