Sciencemadness Discussion Board
Not logged in [Login ]
Go To Bottom

Printable Version  
Author: Subject: Phosphorous Acid
SomeoneSomewhere
Harmless
*




Posts: 3
Registered: 2-1-2016
Member Is Offline

Mood: No Mood

[*] posted on 2-1-2016 at 00:23
Phosphorous Acid


Is there any route to the synthesis of phosphorous acid (H3PO3) besides using P4O6,PCl3,and potassium phosphite (They are unavailable where I live :( )?
View user's profile View All Posts By User
diddi
National Hazard
****




Posts: 723
Registered: 23-9-2014
Location: Victoria, Australia
Member Is Offline

Mood: Fluorescent

[*] posted on 2-1-2016 at 03:38


try your local auto store for mag wheel cleaner. there are often OTC solutions to your supply problems




Beginning construction of periodic table display
View user's profile View All Posts By User
SomeoneSomewhere
Harmless
*




Posts: 3
Registered: 2-1-2016
Member Is Offline

Mood: No Mood

[*] posted on 4-1-2016 at 17:16


Quote: Originally posted by diddi  
try your local auto store for mag wheel cleaner. there are often OTC solutions to your supply problems

I think you are talking about PhosphorIC acid(H3PO4),not phosphorous (H3PO3).
View user's profile View All Posts By User
woelen
Super Administrator
*********




Posts: 7977
Registered: 20-8-2005
Location: Netherlands
Member Is Offline

Mood: interested

[*] posted on 5-1-2016 at 00:24


Reducing phosphate is not an option. The only viable way to phosphite is from the element.

Can you obtain red P? From red P and chlorine you can make PCl3. With Br2 you can make PBr3. You can prepare these chemicals in solution (e.g. CHCl3 or CH2Cl2) to make the reaction less violent. Addition of water then makes H3PO3 and HCl/HBr. Purification of the H3PO3 is not that difficult, simply heating drives off the solvent and trapped HCl/HBr. The last percent or so of chloride/bromide is not easy to remove, but for many applications this is not a real issue.




The art of wondering makes life worth living...
Want to wonder? Look at https://woelen.homescience.net
View user's profile Visit user's homepage View All Posts By User
Mesa
Hazard to Others
***




Posts: 264
Registered: 2-7-2013
Member Is Offline

Mood: No Mood

[*] posted on 5-1-2016 at 01:01


Yates Anti-Rot is an aqueous solution containing the mixed potassium salts of phosphorous acid. The free acid can be prepared by addition of HCl, boiling off excess water, and filtering the KCl byproduct as it precipitates.

Keep an eye on the temperature as you near the end of the evaporation. H3PO3 decomposes at around 180*C to H3PO4 and PH3. PH3(Phosphine) is very dangerous stuff.

Adding methanol or ethanol helps to remove the last fractions of water without overheating. This eventually yields the solid acid as white, translucent flakes. It's very hygroscopic.


Further purification can be done by forming the calcium salt of the H3PO3 and isolating, then reacting with dilute H2SO4 and filtering out insoluble CaSO4.



[Edited on 5-1-2016 by Mesa]
View user's profile View All Posts By User

  Go To Top