[...] Why don't both Cl molecules get detached?
I can interpret your question in two ways:
Why not abstract
both Cl atoms? That is, as Cl
2. An answer is that this process is energetically worse than abstracting HCl, because two Cl atoms bind weakly, weaker than Cl with H or C. Some bond dissociation energies there, sources differ:
http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=80085.msg296423#msg296423You can also imagine that if adding Cl
2 across a double bond is easy, the reverse operation, abstracting Cl
2 to create a double bond, is difficult.
Why not abstract
two HCl molecules? The first one costs 71kJ at 298K, the second towards acetylene 98kJ, and both operations involve the same number of molecules. If RT equals 6kJ, the 4.5*RT more make a strong difference. I's also conceivable that the process removes vinyl chloride from the reactor as it forms.