2. Influence of trace impurities on the thermal stability of vinyl acetate monomer

2.1 Risk of accidental polymerization in vinyl acetate storage facilities

Vinyl acetate is a reactive monomer which is produced and used in very high tonnages. In 2003, worldwide production was 4.5 million tonnes, increasing by 100,000 tonnes a year. It is used to manufacture polymers and copolymers for paints, adhesives, paper coatings and non-wovens. The breakdown of vinyl acetate uses can be described as follows:

• 40% for the manufacture of polyvinyl acetate ;

• 37% for the manufacture of polyvinyl alcohol ;

• 23% for copolymer production.

Polymerization processes can be batch, semi-batch or continuous, and include solution, suspension...