. Although PVC can be produced from a range of hydrocarbons including coal, and derivatives of plants such as sugar cane, the bulk of world production is currently manufactured using the chemical compound ethylene. Ethylene (or ethene) which has the chemical formula C2H4, is a product of the oil & gas industry. PVC is therefore considered to be a petrochemical product. At the start of the ethylene-based PVC production process, the ethylene is combined with chlorine to produce an intermediate chemical known as EDC (ethylene dichloride or 1,2-dichloroethane).