Process for the production of yellow phosphorus

Abstract

The invention provides a process for the production of yellow phosphorus. One embodiment involves (a) comminuting a natural phosphate having a grading not exceeding 10 mm. and quartzite into a finely-divided state and mixing together said comminuted phosphates and quartzite to obtain a two-component phosphate-quartzite charge; (b) melting said two-component phosphate-quartzite charge; (c) treating the resulting phosphate-quartzite melt, while in a thin layer, with overheated steam to form fluorine compounds; (d) removing the fluorine compounds; (e) feeding to the surface of the remaining defluorinated melt a three-component charge consisting essentially of a mixture of heat-treated lump phosphate and quartzite having a grading of about from 10-50 mm., together with a reducing agent having a grading of about from 5-25 mm., the weight ratio of the phosphate-quartzite fraction of the three component charge preferably being 30-70:70:30%, and the weight ratio of the reducing agent to phosphate in the three component charge preferably being 20-40:70-50%, while concurrently feeding a comminuted reducing agent into the melt layer under pressure, preferably in admixture with an inert gas, whereby the phosphates are reduced to yellow phosphorus in gaseous form; and (f) condensing the gaseous yellow phosphorus to recover the yellow phosphorus. In a second embodiment, the same process as above is carried out with the exceptions that in step (a) phosphate raw materials having a grading not exceeding 50 mm. replace the natural phosphate having a grading not exceeding 10 mm., and in step (e) a lump reducing agent replaces the three-component charge.