Process for the manufacture of ethylene dichloride (EDC), and process for the manufacture of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and of polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Process for the manufacture of EDC or Ethylene Di-Chloride by chlorination and/or oxychlorination of ethylene, said process comprising the purification of an EDC stream according to the following steps : - eventually removing the lower boiling impurities from the EDC stream so as to generate a stream of EDC substantially free from lower boiling impurities ; - feeding this EDC stream to a heavy ends distillation column so as to get a top stream of substantially pure EDC and a bottom stream comprising higher boiling impurities and EDC, wherein the EDC stream fed to the heavy ends distillation column is at least partly heated up by a heater using waste heat available in the EDC manufacturing process itself or in a subsequent pyrolysis step of said EDC into vinyl chloride monomer or VCM or in an oxychlorination unit of ethylene to EDC.