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GATE 2025 CH – Question 27

Chemical Technology · Polymerization industries · 1 mark · Multiple choice

In the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from ethylene and chlorine, the sequential order of reactions is

  1. Chlorination followed by Dehydrochlorination
  2. Dehydrochlorination followed by Chlorination
  3. Hydrogenation followed by Chlorination
  4. Dehydrochlorination followed by Hydrogenation

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Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: (A) Chlorination followed by Dehydrochlorination

Explanation

Ethylene is first chlorinated to ethylene dichloride (EDC). The EDC is then cracked by dehydrochlorination to vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and the VCM is polymerised to PVC. So the sequence of reactions before polymerisation is chlorination and then dehydrochlorination.