Chlorination of poly(vinyl chloride) in liquid chlorine, and chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) composition

Abstract

Abstract A process is disclosed for photochlorinating poly(vinyl chloride), ("PVC"), suspended in liquid chlorine ("Cl 2 ") which swells the PVC and permits chlorination to occur in a gel phase. PVC starting material is in the form of solid free-flowing macrogranules which are slurried in from about 5 to about 50 times their weight of liquid Cl 2 in a reaction zone maintained at a temperature in the range from about -50° C. to about 50° C., and a pressure sufficient to maintain the chlorine in its liquid state. Since liquid Cl 2 itself swells the PVC to provide a gel phase in which photochlorination occurs, no conventional chlorinated hydrocarbon swelling agents, catalytic materials and the like are necessary. The process may be operated as a batch process, or a continuous process. Typical chlorine content of PVC is about 56.7 percent by weight (% by wt), and the product of chlorination is chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride), ("CPVC"). When formed, this CPVC is dissolved in the liquid Cl 2 to form a thick syrup-like solution. CPVC is recovered as a solid by evaporation of the liquid Cl 2 , or as a finely divided solid by adding a halogenated lower alkane slowly to the CPVC syrup. The solid CPVC is homogeneously chlorinated, and its morphology and spectra, especially its 13 C nmr spectra, differentiate it from prior art compositions.

Inventors

• 👤 Richard G. Parker

Bibliographic Details