vinyl chloride

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, easily liquefied, flammable, slightly water-soluble gas, C 2 H 3 Cl, having a pleasant, etherlike odor: used in the manufacture of plastics, as a refrigerant, and in the synthesis of polyvinyl chloride and other organic compounds.

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vinyl chloride British  

noun

1. a colourless flammable gaseous unsaturated compound made by the chlorination of ethylene and used as a refrigerant and in the manufacture of PVC; chloroethylene; chloroethene. Formula: CH:CHCl

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vinyl chloride Scientific  

1. A flammable gas used to make polyvinyl chloride. Chemical formula: C ₂ H ₃ Cl.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vinyl chloride

In 2003, the company accidentally released 8,000 pounds of carcinogenic vinyl chloride into Baton Rouge, according to the U.S.

From Salon ● May 10, 2026

Several steel manufacturers lie in the flood-prone region of Asheville, and many were concerned that Silver-Line Plastics, which manufactures PVC pipes, could have released solvents or vinyl chloride into the surrounding environment with the flood.

From Salon ● Jan. 28, 2025

Days later, emergency responders, fearing an explosion, decided to release and burn vinyl chloride from derailed cars, sending vast plumes of dark smoke over the town.

From New York Times ● May 23, 2024

Three days after the crash, the authorities, fearing that the five tank cars containing vinyl chloride might explode, released and burned the cars’ contents.

From New York Times ● Jan. 28, 2024

Environmental and public health activists cheered the development, saying EPA should have banned vinyl chloride years ago.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 10, 2023