Chlorine

Chlorine

Chlorine is a highly reactive halogen that mostly exists on Earth as an element in salts, with sodium chloride (table salt) being a prime example. Chlorine gas (CL2) is produced commercially by the electrolytic decomposition of salt (NaCl, KCl) in the chlor-alkali process, with caustic soda and hydrogen also produced. The primary driver of global chlorine consumption is construction activity. The end uses of almost 50% of all chlorine derivatives are construction related applications, including applications of polyvinyl chloride and MDI. The disparate economic drivers of caustic soda and chlorine frequently result in demand for the two stoichiometrically related co-products being in imbalanced demand tension.