Vinyl Chloride Monomer
The chlorinated vinyl monomer supplied by Chelora Chemicals — the sole feedstock for PVC, the world's third-largest-volume plastic — exported from Indonesia as a liquefied, pressurised gas with full batch documentation on every shipment.
What Vinyl Chloride Monomer is, and why buyers source it
A working overview of the compound's chemistry, its singular role as the PVC monomer, and the grade Chelora Chemicals keeps in regular supply.
Vinyl Chloride Monomer is a chlorinated vinyl compound: a chlorine atom attached to one carbon of an ethylene double bond. That double bond opens readily under free-radical initiation, and because essentially all VCM produced worldwide is consumed by a single downstream product, the molecule's commercial identity is almost synonymous with its polymer: polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
At room temperature and atmospheric pressure it is a colourless, flammable gas with a faint, sweet odour, handled and shipped as a liquefied gas under its own vapour pressure, broadly analogous in handling terms to the lighter olefins and diolefins in our range.
Where it fits in the value chain
Vinyl Chloride Monomer's entire commercial purpose is polymerisation (predominantly by the suspension process, with emulsion and bulk processes used for specific grades) to polyvinyl chloride, the third-largest-volume plastic in the world after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is used across rigid pipe and fittings, window profiles and siding, flexible cable insulation and jacketing, flooring, and packaging film, with its properties tuned across a wide hardness and flexibility range by the choice of plasticiser and additive package compounded into the base resin.
Grade we supply
Chelora Chemicals offers Vinyl Chloride Monomer in polymer grade (99.9%+ purity), suited to suspension, emulsion and bulk PVC polymerisation. The grade is supplied with a batch-wise certificate of analysis.
How Vinyl Chloride Monomer is produced
An overview of the production route for orientation purposes. Our manufacturing partners' own process parameters and in-process controls are proprietary and are not disclosed beyond what is needed to interpret the certificate of analysis.
Vinyl Chloride Monomer is produced from ethylene by a balanced, closed-loop process built around a shared intermediate, ethylene dichloride (EDC, 1,2-dichloroethane). Ethylene is converted to EDC by two parallel routes: direct chlorination, reacting ethylene with chlorine gas (C₂H₄ + Cl₂ → C₂H₄Cl₂), and oxychlorination, reacting ethylene with hydrogen chloride and oxygen over a copper-catalyst (C₂H₄ + 2 HCl + ½ O₂ → C₂H₄Cl₂ + H₂O).
The combined EDC stream from both routes is purified and thermally cracked (pyrolysed) at high temperature to give vinyl chloride monomer and hydrogen chloride as co-product: C₂H₄Cl₂ → C₂H₃Cl + HCl. Crucially, the HCl released in this cracking step is recycled directly back to the oxychlorination step as its own chlorine source, closing the chlorine loop between the two EDC-production routes and the VCM-cracking step, so that in a well-balanced plant very little chlorine is lost from the overall cycle. The crude VCM is purified by distillation to the required assay before loading.
Industries and processes that use it
Vinyl Chloride Monomer is consumed essentially entirely by PVC resin manufacture, which is itself used across an exceptionally wide span of construction, cable and packaging applications. The fields below account for most of the demand we see through our export desk.
Rigid PVC Pipe & Profile
Suspension-polymerised to rigid PVC resin, extruded into pressure pipe, drainage pipe, window profile and siding.
Flexible PVC Cable & Film
Polymerised and compounded with plasticisers to flexible PVC, used in cable insulation and jacketing, flooring and film.
PVC Packaging & Bottle Resin
Polymerised to clear or opaque PVC resin grades used in blister packaging, bottles and rigid film.
Paste/Emulsion PVC (PVC-P)
Emulsion-polymerised to fine-particle paste-grade PVC, used in coated fabrics, flooring and dip-moulded products.
How the molecule is typically carried forward
The reactive, chlorine-substituted double bond governs almost all of this molecule's further reaction chemistry. Reaction classes below account for most of the ways Vinyl Chloride Monomer is converted into a finished resin.
Suspension Polymerisation
Droplets of VCM, dispersed in water with a suspending agent, polymerise under free-radical initiation into discrete PVC resin particles, the dominant commercial process for general-purpose PVC.
Emulsion Polymerisation
VCM is polymerised in a fine aqueous emulsion to give paste-grade PVC with a much smaller, more uniform particle size than suspension resin.
Bulk (Mass) Polymerisation
VCM is polymerised without a suspending medium, giving a resin with very low residual additive content, used for specific clarity- or purity-sensitive grades.
Copolymerisation
Copolymerised with vinyl acetate or other comonomers to modify processing behaviour and final film or coating properties in specific PVC copolymer grades.
Vinyl Chloride Monomer against other vinyl monomers we supply
Buyers sourcing VCM for PVC manufacture often also need the ethylene feedstock it is produced from, or the related vinyl acetate monomer for copolymer grades. A quick reference to what else is on our regular supply list.
| Product | CAS Number | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl Chloride Monomer | 75-01-4 | Vinyl halide monomer | The product on this page — the sole feedstock for PVC resin. |
| Vinyl Acetate Monomer | 108-05-4 | Vinyl ester monomer | A related vinyl monomer, used in PVC copolymer grades and in its own PVAc/VAE/EVA chemistry — see its product page. |
| Ethylene | 74-85-1 | C2 olefin | The feedstock olefin this monomer is produced from via ethylene dichloride — see its product page. |
| Benzene | 71-43-2 | Aromatic hydrocarbon (BTX) | A related petrochemical, co-produced in the same steam-cracking chain as ethylene — see its product page. |
Exact physical constants and purity specifications are confirmed per batch on the certificate of analysis — treat the notes above as a sourcing guide, not a specification sheet, for products other than Vinyl Chloride Monomer.
Safety classification at a glance
Based on GHS classification as commonly listed for this substance. This is a summary for orientation only — always work from the current safety data sheet supplied with your specific batch.
Extremely flammable gas.
Contains gas under pressure; may explode if heated.
May cause cancer.
May cause genetic defects.
Long recognised as the causative agent of a specific, rare liver cancer (hepatic angiosarcoma) under occupational exposure conditions historically seen before modern controls.
Flame-resistant workwear, gas detection and appropriate respiratory protection in confined-space work are the baseline for routine handling.
Handled as a liquefied gas under its own vapour pressure; standard pressurised-gas precautions apply throughout.
Danger — GHS02 flammable, GHS08 health hazard and GHS04 gas-under-pressure pictograms apply.
This compound is an extremely flammable liquefied gas and is classified as a known human carcinogen, historically linked to a rare liver cancer (hepatic angiosarcoma) under occupational exposure conditions that modern engineering controls are specifically designed to prevent. It is subject to strict occupational exposure limits and closed-system handling requirements in essentially every jurisdiction. It must be handled strictly under the controls set out in the MSDS issued with every shipment, which should be read in full, together with applicable local occupational exposure regulations, before this material is handled.
Keeping it on spec between delivery and use
General storage guidance for this grade. Site-specific storage rules, segregation requirements and re-test intervals should follow your own EHS procedures and the MSDS issued with your batch.
Store and handle as a liquefied gas under pressure, in pressure-rated cylinders or ISO tanks, away from heat, sparks, open flame and oxidising agents, within closed-system handling infrastructure designed to minimise fugitive emissions and worker exposure in line with local occupational exposure regulations. Cylinders and pressure vessels should be inspected and re-certified on the schedule required by local pressure-equipment regulations. Re-check purity on any material held beyond its agreed retest interval before use.
How it ships from Indonesia
Standard packing and export terms for this product. Confirm exact figures against your order — they vary slightly by destination and quantity.
What travels with every batch
Specification is agreed before the purchase order, not discovered on arrival. Every shipment of Vinyl Chloride Monomer leaves with a documented, checkable paper trail.
Certificate of Analysis
Batch-wise assay, colour and key physical constants, issued against the agreed specification so your QC team can check it, not just file it.
Safety Data Sheet
GHS-format SDS in English covering hazard classification, handling, storage, first-aid and spill response for the exact grade shipped.
Technical Data Sheet
Reference physical and chemical properties, recommended storage and typical applications, for internal circulation to your process or R&D teams.
Certificate of Origin
Confirms Indonesian origin for customs clearance and any preferential-duty claim at your destination port.
Dangerous Goods Declaration
UN packing group, classification and shipper's declaration prepared ahead of loading so documentation never holds up customs.
Third-Party Inspection
Independent pre-shipment inspection and re-sampling can be arranged on request, at your cost, for buyers who require it as a matter of policy.
Frequently asked questions
What buyers most often ask our sales desk about this grade.
01What is Vinyl Chloride Monomer used for?+
02What is the CAS number of Vinyl Chloride Monomer?+
03How is Vinyl Chloride Monomer produced?+
04What purity grade does Chelora Chemicals supply?+
05Is Vinyl Chloride Monomer hazardous?+
06Why is VCM production described as a 'balanced' or 'closed-loop' process?+
07What packing options are available?+
08How long does delivery take?+
09Can I get a sample before placing a bulk order?+
10Do you supply related vinyl monomers and feedstock olefins as well?+
Need Vinyl Chloride Monomer on spec, on time?
Send us your required purity, quantity, packing preference and destination port. Our desk quotes most enquiries within one working day.