Acetylene process or ethylene process? Cost analysis of PVC produced from different raw materials

The authors analysed the production cost of PVC from different raw materials,including acetylene from calcium carbide,ethylene from oil,acetylene by plasma method,olefins from coal,acetylene from natural gas by partial oxidation method,ethylene from bio-ethanol dehydration,etc. The calcium carbide acetylene method and the oil ethylene method were still the two major production processes in China's PVC industry,and the cost advantage of the two processes w ill alternate w ith the change of ethylene's and calcium carbide's prices. A situation w ould form in China's PVC industry in the future,that was,the integrated calcium carbide method would be predominate in northwest China while the ethylene method would be prevalent in China's coast area. The resource characteristics rich in coal and short of oil determined that the calcium carbide method would lead China's PVC industry for a very long period.