ABSTRACT
Acknowledgments ..............................................................................................................326
References .......................................................................................................................... 326
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a polymer that has a polymerized formula of vinyl alcohol,
CH2¼CHOH. However, the vinyl alcohol monomer has neither been isolated nor obtained in high concentration. Vinyl chloride or vinyl acetate is obtained by the addition of hydrogen
chloride or acetic acid to acetylene. Therefore, vinyl alcohol is formed by the reaction of water
with acetylene. This reaction, however, produces acetaldehyde, CH3CH¼O, and not vinyl alcohol. It is probable that vinyl alcohol is formed at a point during the reaction, but it
changes instantaneously to acetaldehyde.
