Process for producing a vinyl chloride polymer in the presence of a chelating agent

Abstract

There is provided a process for producing a vinyl chloride polymer wherein in a polymerization vessel, vinyl chloride monomer or a vinyl monomer mixture comprised mainly of vinyl chloride monomer is polymerized by the aid of a polymerization initiator in an aqueous medium, comprising previously forming a coating film comprised of a polymer scale deposition preventive agent prior to the polymerization on the inner wall surface of the polymerization vessel and the other areas, to which said monomer contacts during the polymerization, by coating thereon a coating solution containing the polymer scale deposition preventive agent by the aid of steam as a carrier; and carrying out said polymerization in the presence of a chelating agent capable of forming a Fe(II) or Fe(III) complex in said aqueous medium. According to the process, while preventing polymer scale deposition on the areas where polymer scale deposition has hitherto been hardly prevented in the polymerization of vinyl chloride or the like using an aqueous medium in a polymerization vessel, such as baffles' surfaces facing the inner wall surface of a polymerization vessel and near the interface between gas phase/liquid phase at which scales are liable to deposit by repeating polymerization, a high quality polymer product little in initial discoloration can be obtained.