Ideology and Chlorine

[Kaltofen@aol.com]

While there might be some people somewhere who oppose the use of chlorine for 
PVC based on ideology, I know that I am not one of them.  PVC has poor 
performance characteristics based on weight, energy use, unwanted 
production-end and disposal-end by-products; and it is a fire hazard by 
virtue of its decomposition products.

I will further admit to electrolytically making hypochlorite on a lecture 
bench as a demostration for elementary school students, so I guess that lets 
me out of the ideology thing.  

The chemical industry has shown in the past that it can make new and improved 
products.  Ultimately GM's decision shows that PVC is suffering in this 
competition.  Such trends are much more important than any ideology because 
they show how industry and technology can progress beyond first generation 
chemicals like PVC.

BTW - Similar electrolysis experiments are described in Exploring Chemistry, 
Canadian Society for Chemistry, Vol 1, 9-10 (1996), or in Discover Canadian 
Chemistry, Canadian Society for Chemistry, Vol 6, 6 (1996).

Very truly yours,

<a href="http://members.aol.com/kaltofen/menu.html">Marco Kaltofen</a>