03-18-2022-0134 - Phosphorus chemicalbook EN_CB9238026

Production

White phosphorus usually is obtained by heating some form of calcium phosphate with quartz and coke, usually in an electric furnace. The reactions may be written in two steps as follows:
Ca3(PO4)2 + 3SiO2 → 3CaSiO3 + P2O5
P2O5 + 5C → 2P + 5 CO
In commercial scale, white phosphorus is manufactured mostly from the mineral fluorapatite by heating with silica and coke in an electric-arc or blast furnace at a temperature of 1,200 to 1,500°C. An overall reaction may be represented in the following equation.
4Ca5F(PO4)3 + 18SiO2 + 30C → 18CaO • SiO2 • 2CaF2 + 30CO↑ + 3P4↑
(slag) White phosphorus also can be produced by a wet process using phosphoric acid, a process that was practiced historically in commercial production. In this method the starting material, phosphoric acid, usually is prepared in large vats by reacting phosphate rock with sulfuric acid:
Ca5F(PO4)3 + 5H2SO4 + 10H2O → 3H3PO4 + 5CaSO4 • 10H2O + HF
Phosphoric acid is filtered out of the mixture. It is then mixed with coke, charcoal or sawdust; dried; charred; and finally heated to white heat in a fireclay retort:
H3PO4 + 16C → P4 + 6H2 + 16CO
The vapor is condensed to obtain white phosphorus.
As stated earlier, all other forms of phosphorus can be made from white phosphorus. Thus, heating white phosphorus first at 260°C for a few hours and then at 350°C gives red phosphorus. The conversion is exothermic and can become explosive in the presence of iodine as a catalyst. When a solution of white phosphorus in carbon disulfide or phosphorus tribromide is irradiated the scarlet red variety is obtained.
Black phosphorus allotrope is produced by heating white phosphorus at 220°C under 12,000 atm pressure. The conversion is initially slow, but can became fast and explosive after an induction period.
White phosphorus is stored under water as it ignites in air. It may be cut into appropriate sizes only under water.

Reactions

Reactivity of white phosphorus is much greater than red or black phosphorus. Black phosphorus is the least reactive of all phosphorus allotropes. White phosphorus ignites in air spontaneously. When placed on a paper, the paper catches fire after a short delay. It catches fire at about 35°C. At room temperature white phosphorus glows in the dark on exposure to air emitting faint green light. Such chemiluminescence is attributed to the oxidation of P4 molecules in the vapor phase in contact with the surface of solid phosphorus:
P4(g) + 5O2(g) → P4O10(s) + light
The mechanism involves a complicated oxidative process that occurs only at certain partial pressures of oxygen and not in pure oxygen at atmospheric pressure, nor in vacuum.
Red phosphorus ignites when struck with a hammer blow or when heated at 260°C. Black phosphorus ignites in contact with flame. White phosphorus reacts spontaneously with halogens at ordinary temperatures forming phosphorus trihalides. However, in excess halogen the product is phosphorus pentahalide:
P4(s) + 6Cl2(g) → 4PCl3 (l)
P4 (s) + 10Cl2 (g) → 4PCl5 (s)
White phosphorus reacts with sulfur on warming forming phosphorus trisulfide:
P4(s) + 6S(s) → 2P2S3 (s)
White phosphorus reacts with strong aqueous alkali solution forming hypophosphite with evolution of phosphine, PH3:
P4 + 3KOH + 3H2O → 3KH2PO2 + PH3 ↑
P4(s) + 6Cl2(g) → 4PCl3 (l)
P4 (s) + 10Cl2 (g) → 4PCl5 (s)
White phosphorus reacts with sulfur on warming forming phosphorus trisulfide:
P4(s) + 6S(s) → 2P2S3 (s)
White phosphorus reacts with strong aqueous alkali solution forming hypophosphite with evolution of phosphine, PH3:
P4 + 3KOH + 3H2O → 3KH2PO2 + PH3 ↑
P4 + 6Ca → 2Ca3P2
Reactions with alkali metals occur under warm conditions producing the corresponding metal phosphides:

P4 + 12Na → 4Na3P 

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