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

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

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

The vinyl chloride released that day, combined with all the other chemicals that spilled and caught fire after the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, have left residents with lingering fears about possible long-term health consequences.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 6, 2024

The train was carrying more than 700,000 pounds of vinyl chloride, a carcinogen used to produce pipes, furniture and packaging, when it skipped the tracks.

From New York Times ● Jan. 31, 2024