Yellow Phosphorus

Yellow phosphorus appears as a colorless wax-type crystal that is accompanied with a garlic scent. It is insoluble in water, easily soluble in fat, carbon disulfide, and other organic solvents. Spontaneous combustion in air at room temperature and oxidizes into diphosphorus trioxide and phosphorus pentoxide. It is an extremely toxic chemical that has a lethal dose of 50 – 100 mg. This form must be stored under water as it burns rapidly and is spontaneously combustible upon exposure to air.

Phosphorus-containing compounds are widely used in the agricultural industry as fertilizers.

Manufacturing Processes:

For its manufacturing, phosphate-containing minerals are converted to phosphoric acid through two different methods, the main one being treatment of phosphate minerals with sulfuric acid.

2 Ca₃(PO₄)₂ + 6 SiO₂ + 10 C → 6 CaSiO₃ + 10 CO + P₄

(Phosphate rock + gravel + cokes → slag + carbon monoxide + phosphorus)