How is suspension polymerization used to make PVC?

Suspension polymerization is a heterogeneous radical process that mixes monomer droplets in a liquid phase using mechanical agitation to form polymer spheres. This technique provides superior heat conduction and allows high degrees of polymerization without monomer boil-off. It is widely employed in the commercial production of plastics like polyvinyl chloride, which stands as the world's third-most widely produced synthetic plastic.

What we know

• Suspension polymerization is a heterogeneous radical polymerization process that uses mechanical agitation to disperse monomer droplets in a liquid phase. [1, 2]
• The liquid phase outside the monomer droplets assists with better thermal conduction, which tempers temperature increases during the reaction. [2]
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is produced commercially using the suspension polymerization process and is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer. [2, 3]
• Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is frequently used as a protective suspending agent to prevent monomer droplets from sticking together and causing creaming. [2]

Where to go next

• what followedWhat is polyvinyl chloride used for?
• how it workedHow does radical polymerization work?
• the bigger pictureWhat are general polymerization processes?
• compared withHow is polyvinyl fluoride produced?
• a case in pointWhat role does polyvinyl alcohol play?
• an unexpected connectionHow do airplane interiors connect to plastic pipes?Polyvinyl fluoride, used in flammability-lowering coatings for airplane interiors, is structurally very similar to polyvinyl chloride used in rigid plumbing pipes.

Sources

• [1]suspension polymerization (Wikidata Q901073) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Suspension polymerization · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Polyvinyl chloride · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Polyvinyl fluoride · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Polymerization · CC BY-SA 4.0