Dabbler - 21-2-2017 at 03:08
I spotted a 500g package of red phosphorous for about $20 at a local store, and bought it figuring that this was a one-off chance.
Other than selling it or making illegal drugs, is there anything interesting I can do with it?
j_sum1 - 21-2-2017 at 03:45
Plenty.
Sounds like you need to do a bunch of reading before you open the packet though.
I am probably not experienced enough with red P to guide you through all of the possibilities. But there are tons of OC synths. There are some
interesting (and dangerous) halides that also have their uses. Plenty of uses in energetics. You can make white P or even have a crack at other
allotropes. It is a versatile reducing agent for all sorts of things. The sky is the limit. You may as well ask if there is anything interesting
that can be done with iron.
No one is going to give you much help with this question until they know what your interests and experience is and what equipment you have available.
A few hours on YouTube might help solidify those ideas for you. Recommended start point is chemplayer, NileRed and Doug's lab. (You might possibly
find some interesting stuff with rogereymaw too. He made white P and has an interest in fireworks.)
Dabbler - 21-2-2017 at 04:06
Thanks!
BromicAcid - 21-2-2017 at 04:18
There was an older use of red phosphorus for cleaning gemstones if I am not mistaken. It had been some time since I looked into it but I was trying
to find other applications.
Herr Haber - 21-2-2017 at 04:23
Burn some !
It's not really an experiment but:
- You probably havent seen phosphorus burning yet. It's not really impressive, but it's different and therefore interesting
- Just burn a teaspoon. The amount of "smoke" (P205) is quite impressive even with a tiny amount of Phosphorus.
And if I'd were you I'd avoid Armstrong mixture 
JJay - 21-2-2017 at 05:18
These days, phosphorus is rarely used to make illegal drugs. Ephedrine is no longer as freely as available as it once was, and the rise of the
so-called "shake and bake" method of producing methamphetamine has all but eliminated what little use remained of elemental phosphorus in the illegal
drug trade. While unlicensed phosphorus trade in the USA is illegal, I'd be willing to bet that well in excess of 90% of the uses to which
illegally-obtained phosphorus is put are otherwise entirely lawful.
You can use it to make halogenating compounds for creating acyl halides from carboxylic acids and alkyl halides from alcohols.
It's used in a lot of pyrotechnic mixtures, including ones used to make matches and flares.
It can also be used to make powerful drying agents and some acids.
It's a reducing agent.
It can be used to make organophosphorus compounds.
Texium - 21-2-2017 at 06:49
Link to my video on making phosphorus tribromide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMVZRTJy6Ds
It's a very useful reagent in OC, since it can be used to make acyl bromides, and to make alkyl bromides that are more difficult to make via a simple
NaBr/H2SO4 SN2, among other uses.
Amos - 21-2-2017 at 07:55
What local store...? I take it you don't live in the U.S. or Western Europe given how fishy that would be.
Db33 - 21-2-2017 at 14:05
i was wondering the same as Amos, what in the world kind of store is that?
Dabbler - 22-2-2017 at 19:34
Sorry. In Asia, not in USA. The store sells mostly cleaning supplies and the owner speaks no English (but is happy with chemical formula).
I think he is a chemistry fan and often stocks single bottles of random analytical reagents.