Phosphorus and its compounds

J. R. Van Wa2er, Phosphorus and Its Compounds Vol. II, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1961. 

Because of the great importance of phosphorus and its compounds in the chemical industry, several books and reviews on their preparation and uses are available.Some of these applications reflect the fact that P is a vital element for the growth and development of all plants and animals and is therefore an important constituent in many fertilizers. Phosphorus compounds are involved in energy transfer... 

C04-0057. ITere are some reactions of phosphorus and its compounds. Balance the equations ... 

There are several variants of the Dorr process which differ according to the treatment of the calcium sulfate. Some variants produce the dihydrate, gypsum, others produce the hemi-hydrate. The variants also differ in the concentration of the phosphoric acid produced, but it is never more than 43 percent. The basic process was patented by Lawes in England in 1842 but the presently used variant was developed by the Dorr-Oliver company in the 1930s. Stevens, H. M., Phosphorus and Its Compounds, Interscience, New York, 1961. 

In the following pages an attempt is made to depict the present state of our knowledge. In so doing, a systematic rather than a historical approach has been adopted. A recent comprehensive treatment of the whole field is also given in J. R. van Wazer s monograph Phosphorus and its Compounds 340). Older reviews are those of Topley 326) and Quimby 232). 

Phosphorus and its compounds have also been used as incendiary agents against personnel and readily combustible materials. Burning phosphorus produces serious burns and tends to demoralize enemy troops. WP is effective against most easily combustible targets because it has a low combustion temperature but it is relatively ineffective for others. 

Phosphorus exists mostly in the phosphate form in the general environment. The levels of phosphorus determined in most environmental samples are reported as total phosphorus and do not distinguish between elemental phosphorus and its compounds. However, elemental phosphorus is far more toxic than other oxidized phosphorus states (oxides and acids of phosphorus). This profile reports the level of elemental phosphorus and not total phosphorus in environmental samples. 

The raw material from which phosphorus and its compounds are prepared is calcium phosphate, either in the form of natural phosphate rock or in bone ash. For laboratory preparations bone ash is preferable since it is practically free from fluorides and compounds of iron. This bone ash may be assumed to be 80 per cent... 

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