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

The intentional burning of vinyl chloride in derailed tanker cars sent a cloud over the town of 4,500 people.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Norfolk Southern advocated burning five tanker cars of vinyl chloride it said could explode, and the plan unfolded three days later.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 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

On a Friday night in early February last year, 38 rail cars on a Norfolk Southern train derailed, 11 of which were carrying hazard materials like vinyl chloride, a chemical used to make plastics.

From New York Times ● May 23, 2024

EPA Response Coordinator Mark Durno told The Associated Press he’s “feeling pretty confident that vinyl chloride isn’t going to be a trigger for long-term health effects.”

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 1, 2024

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