C2H3Cl

C2H3Cl, commonly known as vinyl chloride or chloroethene, is a simple vinyl halide with the structural formula CH2=CHCl. It is a small, reactive monomer that is most notably used in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). At room temperature it exists as a colorless gas and is highly volatile.

Vinyl chloride is flammable and has a boiling point of −13.4 °C, making it a gas under ordinary conditions and a highly reactive vinyl monomer. It readily participates in radical polymerization to form PVC, and can form copolymers with other monomers. It is typically stored and transported under pressure as a gas or refrigerated as a liquid, with inhibitors added to prevent unwanted polymerization during handling and storage.

Industrially, vinyl chloride is produced primarily by the dehydrochlorination of ethylene dichloride (1,2-dichloroethane), which yields vinyl chloride and HCl. Other historical routes include acetylene hydrochlorination. The dominant use of vinyl chloride is as the feedstock for polyvinyl chloride production, and it is also employed in specialty polymers and coatings.

Safety and regulatory information is central to vinyl chloride handling. It is recognized as a human carcinogen, with long-term exposure associated with an increased risk of liver angiosarcoma and other health effects. Because of its volatility and flammability, vinyl chloride is typically managed with strict controls, proper ventilation, leak detection, and appropriate storage and handling protocols to minimize occupational and environmental exposure.