Polyvinyl chloride is produced on an industrial scale by means of radical, block, suspension or emulsion polymerization. Solution polymerization methods are of less commercial importance, at least in Europe. Although details of the process are not provided, according to a type patent, vinyl chloride is polymerized with 0.8% benzoyl peroxide, based on the weight of the monomer. The operation is carried out at 58 °C for 17 hours in a rotating cylinder, inside which there are stainless steel balls. Because the polymer is insoluble in the monomer, block polymerization is heterogeneous. The reaction is difficult to control and results in a slight decrease in insulating properties and transparency. The shape and size of the particles, as well as the size distribution, can be controlled by varying the dispersion system and the stirring speed.

There is a debate about the toxicity of PVC. While the PVC industry denies its possible toxic effects on health and the environment,[4]​ certain environmental groups and organizations denounce that prolonged inhalation of vinyl chloride could be the cause of liver ailments and cancer.[5][6]​ PVC is obtained through the polymerization of vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride is classified in Group 1 according to IARC,[7]​ carcinogenic to humans. Vinyl chloride is linked to liver cancer, hematological cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia, CNS cancer, and lung cancer.[8]​.

Polyvinyl chloride was discovered by accident on at least two occasions during the 19th century: in 1835, for the first time, by Henri Victor Regnault, and in 1872 by Eugen Baumann. In both cases, the polymer appeared as a white solid in the vinyl chloride bottles after exposure to sunlight. Regnault produced vinyl chloride when he treated dichloroethane with an alcoholic solution of potassium hydroxide and accidentally, polyvinyl chloride, by directly exposing the monomer to daylight. However, he did not realize the importance of his discoveries, nor did he understand that the white powder contained in the glass beaker was the polymer of the liquid obtained at the beginning. Baumann was successful in 1872 by polymerizing various vinyl halides, and was the first to obtain some of these in the form of a plastic product.

In the early 20th century, Russian chemists Ivan Ostromislensky and Fritz Klatte attempted to use PVC in commercial products, but their efforts were unsuccessful due to difficulties in processing the polymer. Ostrominlensky did achieve the conditions for the polymerization of vinyl chloride in 1912 and developed convenient techniques on a laboratory scale.

In 1918, Klatte de Grieskein discovered the processes that are still used today for the production of vinyl chloride through the gaseous reaction of hydrogen chloride and acetylene, in the presence of catalysts.

Vinyl chloride and its polymers were laboratory curiosities until 40 years ago, when more in-depth and directed research work began in Germany, the United States and Russia.

In 1926, Waldo Semon"), in collaboration with the B. F. Goodrich Company, developed a method of plasticizing PVC by mixing it with additives that helped make the material more flexible and easier to manufacture. Together with Reid of the Union Carbide and Chemical Carbon Company, they obtained patents for the production of PVC that can be considered the starting points for the industrial production of this material.

The development of High Impact PVC constitutes one of the most important discoveries in the second half of the 20th century, in relation to this material.

Polyvinyl chloride is produced on an industrial scale by means of radical, block, suspension or emulsion polymerization. Solution polymerization methods are of less commercial importance, at least in Europe. Although details of the process are not provided, according to a type patent, vinyl chloride is polymerized with 0.8% benzoyl peroxide, based on the weight of the monomer. The operation is carried out at 58 °C for 17 hours in a rotating cylinder, inside which there are stainless steel balls. Because the polymer is insoluble in the monomer, block polymerization is heterogeneous. The reaction is difficult to control and results in a slight decrease in insulating properties and transparency. The shape and size of the particles, as well as the size distribution, can be controlled by varying the dispersion system and the stirring speed.

There is a debate about the toxicity of PVC. While the PVC industry denies its possible toxic effects on health and the environment,[4]​ certain environmental groups and organizations denounce that prolonged inhalation of vinyl chloride could be the cause of liver ailments and cancer.[5][6]​ PVC is obtained through the polymerization of vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride is classified in Group 1 according to IARC,[7]​ carcinogenic to humans. Vinyl chloride is linked to liver cancer, hematological cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia, CNS cancer, and lung cancer.[8]​.