[Accujack]

Not exactly "safe". The precursors are ethylene and chlorine. Chlorine everyone knows about - it's quite a bit more of a problem when it spills than vinyl chloride.

Ethylene is a "colorless and combustible gas used to fumigate some agricultural products, sterilize medical equipment and in the production of other industrial chemicals. The gas is a carcinogen that has been linked to breast, lymphoid, leukemia and other types of cancers."

Ethylene is transported as a cryogenic liquid, which means when it leaks it immediately boils to gas form. Once released it takes 2 to 4 days to break down in the atmosphere. Chlorine takes years.

[scythe]

>The precursors are ethylene and chlorine

The precursors are more accurately acetylene and hydrogen chloride. But acetylene can be stored and transported as the solid calcium acetylide (aka calcium carbide), which releases acetylene by reaction with water. So this is potentially easier than you made it sound.

[McSwag]

I’m not a chemistry expert; Do the precursors’ properties necessarily matter here?

Like Table salt for example: sodium chloride. Sodium spontaneously ignites in AIR and is explosive in water. Chlorine is highly toxic and poisonous. But you bond the two chemically and you get a stable, safe, delicious flavor enhancer.

Edit: Perhaps I misunderstood your comment. Are you saying that transporting the raw chemicals required to make it on site wouldn’t be any safer to transport?

[candiddevmike]

I thought chlorine breaks down rather quickly in sunlight?

[graycat]

Chlorine is an element and, thus, by ordinary chemical means, never "breaks down".

Maybe some people are assuming the old remark:

"The solution to pollution is dilution."

[bigbillheck]

> Chlorine is an element

Chlorine is also a molecule and it was clearly this meaning that the author intended.

[graycat]

You say the author intended

Cl2 --> 2Cl

Naw. That reaction requires energy.

[bigbillheck]

> That reaction requires energy

Yes. In this case, it's called 'sunlight'.

[graycat]

The issue is Chlorine "breaks down".

The results of reaction

Cl2 --> 2Cl

from energy from "sunlight" is reactive and will reverse the reaction and get back to Cl2 or maybe

2H2O + 2Cl --> 2HCl + O2

hydrochloric acid, also very reactive.

It's still Chlorine, reactive and dangerous, destructive and has not broken down.

Yes, the Chlorine may react.

Again, once again, over again, yet again, one more time, the Chlorine will NOT

===>>>"break down"<<<===

Simple. High school science simple.

This whole exchange seems to have nothing, nichts, nil, nada to do with Chlorine or chemistry but just, for whatever reason, arguing just to be arguing.

I'm not interested in the arguing, and I have no more to say about the chemistry.