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Vinyl chloride monomer is used primarily for the production of polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) homopolymer and copolymer resins. In 2005, an estimated 34.2
million metric tons of PVC were produced worldwide, which would require almost
35 million metric tons of VCM. The world market for VCM in 2005 was valued
at approximately $24 billion. In volume terms, production increased about
3.6% annually from 2000 through 2005.
VCM is made principally by the pyrolysis of ethylene dichloride (EDC). Practically
all VCM units are integrated with EDC production. In China, there is a fair
amount of VCM production from the hydrochlorination of acetylene. This process
has now become more attractive because of the price differential between crude
oil–based ethylene and calcium carbide.
VCM is a global product, manufactured by about 93 firms in approximately fifty
countries. However, only 22 producers have an annual capacity above 500 thousand
metric tons. The following pie chart shows world capacity by major producer:
Consumption of VCM will remain dependent upon the performance of the PVC business
and is expected to increase globally at an average annual rate of almost 4%
from 2005 to 2010. Growth rates in such developing regions as the Middle East
and China are considerably higher than in traditionally developed economies
like Europe and North America.
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