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How is chloromethane made from methanol and hydrogen chloride?
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organohalogen compound
Vinyl chloride is an organohalogen compound that has important industrial applications. When treated with certain catalysts, vinyl chloride monomers undergo polymerization and form the larger compound known as polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. PVC is used in the manufacture of numerous products, including packaging films and water pipes.
Chloromethane (also known as methyl chloride) is primarily produced through the reaction of methanol with hydrogen chloride.12
This process is a standard method for preparing alkyl halides, which involves the reaction of an alcohol with a hydrogen halide. While chloromethane can also be synthesized via the high-temperature gas-phase chlorination of methane, the reaction between methanol and hydrogen chloride remains the primary industrial route for its production.21