elementcollector1 - 5-6-2013 at 10:44
From Wiki, the phosphorus content of phosphor-bronze is ~1% by mass. So, if we took a 100g phosphor-bronze sheet and dissolved it in nitric acid to
get rid of the tin and copper, we would get around 1g P (in what allotrope, I have no idea, although I assume red).
Has anyone tried this before? I assume red P is inert to nitric acid, although if not other acids such as H2SO4 and HCl plus H2O2 could be
substituted. Given the common occurence of phosphor-bronze in various electrical parts, musical instruments/parts, and other uses, it wouldn't be too
difficult to buy a piece and sacrifice it to the phosphorus gods. 
[Edited on 5-6-2013 by elementcollector1]
woelen - 5-6-2013 at 12:47
The phosphorus in phosphor-bronze most likely is not present as phosphorus, but as metal phosphide (non-stoichiometric). I myself once purchased
nickel-phosphorus with approximate constitution Ni3P, but I found this to be useless as a source of phosphorus. It reacts with oxidizing acids like
HNO3 with formation of Ni(2+) and H3PO4 and a lot of NO2. With non-oxidizing acids it does not react at all, it is amazingly inert. I am afraid that
with other metal/phosphorus alloys it is the same, either they react with the phosphorus being oxidized or escaping as PH3, or they do not react at
all.
elementcollector1 - 5-6-2013 at 13:39
Curses, foiled again. Back to high-temp reaction mixes...
papaya - 5-6-2013 at 13:53
What if you use FeCL3 instead of nitric acid?
AndersHoveland - 5-6-2013 at 22:08
Anyway to separate out the phosphorous from copper phosphide?
I also suspect that if we were to react phosphorous triiodide with only a limited stoichiometric quantity of water, it would result in PH3 an I2
[Edited on 6-6-2013 by AndersHoveland]