Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft

Peter Luhr

Ursus Thummler

Bernhard Kuxdorf

Hugo Werner

Friedrich-Wilhelm Dorn

Walter Klemm

The disclosure relates to a process for making phosphorus pentoxide by subjecting elemental yellow phosphorus to combustion with dried air inside a steel-made combustion chamber with utilization of the reaction heat for the production of energy. To this end, the disclosure provides for the combustion to be effected inside a combustion chamber of which the walls are arranged so as to form a cooling system with cavities therein; for water or a water/steam-mixture as a heat carrier abstracting the reaction heat to be circulated through the cooling system, the water or water/steam-mixture assuming an increased temperature being circulated, preferably under increased pressure; for steam formed in the cooling system to be continuously taken therefrom; for an equivalent proportion of fresh desalted water to be introduced into the cooling system; for hot gaseous phosphorus pentoxide issuing from the combustion chamber to be condensed or worked up into phosphoric acid; for the steam taken from the cooling system to be passed through a steam delivery pipe disposed in the upper portion of the combustion chamber, or through a delivery conduit for product gas containing phosphorus pentoxide; for the steam to be heated therein to a temperature of 400.degree. to 600.degree. C. under constant pressure, and for the steam so superheated to be used.

Process for making phosphorus pentoxide and optionally phosphoric acid

The disclosure relates to a process for making phosphorus pentoxide by subjecting elemental yellow phosphorus to combustion with dried air inside a steel-made combustion chamber with utilization of the reaction heat for the production of energy. To this end, the disclosure provides for the combustion to be effected inside a combustion chamber of which the walls are arranged so as to form a cooling system with cavities therein; for a liquid or liquid/steam-mixture as a heat carrier abstracting the reaction heat to be circulated through the cooling system, the liquid or liquid/steam-mixture assuming an increased temperature being preferably so circulated under increased pressure; for steam formed in the cooling system to be continuously taken therefrom; for an equivalent proportion of fresh liquid to be introduced into the cooling system; for hot P.sub.2 O.sub.5 issuing in vapor form from the combustion chamber to be condensed or worked up into desirable final product, the combustion chamber being a cylindrical vessel with a height/diameter-ratio of 2.5:1 to 5:1 and having 1 to 10 burners disposed axisymmetrically in its circular base plate. The disclosure also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the process.

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Bad Munstereifel, Germany

Peter Luhr