Vinylidene Chloride

vinylidene chloride [vī′nil·ə‚dēn ′klȯr‚īd]

(organic chemistry)

CH₂:CCl₂A colorless, flammable, explosive liquid, insoluble in water; boils at 37°C; used to make polymers copolymerized with vinyl chloride or acrylonitrile (Saran).

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Vinylidene Chloride 

(1,1-dichloroethylene, CH2= CC12), a colorless liquid that has an odor resembling that of chloroform; T_b = 31.7° C. Density at 20° C, 1.212 g/cm³. The explosive limit of mixtures with air is 7-16 percent by volume. Vinylidene chloride polymerizes spontaneously in air; therefore it is stored in the presence of inhibitors such as hydroquinone.

Vinylidene chloride is made by dehydrochlorination of 1,1,2-trichloroethane (-100° C):

2CH₂Cl–CHCl₂+Ca(OH)₂→2CH₂=CCl₂+CaCl₂+2H₂

Vinylidene chloride is used to make polyvinylidene chloride and copolymers with vinyl chloride, acrylonitrile, and other technologically important copolymers.