Dechlorination of poly(vinyl chloride) using NaOH in ethylene glycol under atmospheric pressure

A solution of NaOH dissolved in ethylene glycol (EG) was effective in the dechlorination of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) at atmospheric pressure. The degree of dechlorination increased with increasing temperature, reaching a maximum of 97.8% at 190 °C. The dechlorination proceeded under chemical control and exhibited first-order kinetics with an apparent activation energy of 170 kJ mol−1. The apparent rate constant for dechlorination in 1.0 M NaOH/EG was approximately 150 times greater than that in 1.0 M NaOH/H2O. In addition, dechlorination was faster at atmospheric pressure in NaOH/EG than under high pressure in NaOH/H2O. The dechlorination reaction occurs via a combination of E2 and SN2 mechanisms.