Another suggested modification is the use of metals as reducing agents instead of carbon: 6NaPO3 + 10Al + 3SiO2 --> 3Na2SiO3 + 5Al2O3 + 6P. These methods, however, have not become of technical importance.
Nobody has ever noticed, even though this quotation has been repeated on Hive at least 3 times, that they are talking about aluminothermy here. The Goldschmidt process. It's fucking thermite.
Now wait. We are talking here about producing phosphorus in a closed system with no external heat source. No pressure fittings. Nothing coming in, nothing going out, while the batch burns, produces and condenses its phosphorus vapor, leaving you a pool of solidifying white phosphorus safely under water. In which you drop a few grams of iodine and forget about for a week or two, as sunlight safely converts it into red phosphorus, under water.
This is absolutely an order of magnitude less difficult to do for yourself than any kind of furnace technique. The apparatus you need is a retort and alembic, designed and built a thousand years ago. If your culture has never reached the ceramic stage, you can probably use metal for a substitute. Don't stick a thermometer or pyrometer anywhere. You don't want to know how hot it gets. Don't stick a gas fitting on it to purge out the air. The bit of air initially present in the apparatus will blow out into your water receiver as P2O5, instantly converted into harmless dilute phosphoric acid as it hits the water. Don't complicate it. Just light it off, drop the cover on it, and stay the fuck away while it does its job.
Details: The bottom of the reaction vessel has to bee covered with pebbles and sand, lots of it. Thermite gets real hot, melts iron easy. The charge? Anything! Metaphosphoric acid is purest, but any version of phosphoric acid or any phosphate will definitely be reduced by aluminum powder, will definitely produce elemental phosphorus in vapor form, will definitely work. (I don't think you need any sand in your charge. What the fuck for? Well, may bee it sticks to the alumina to keep it out of the vapor train. You can just use the rxn above as a guide, cuz they know and I guess.)
To set off the charge, get real assertive. Don't just stick a magnesium ribbon in the top for like a fuze, it'll fizzle. Give it some help, with a generous primer of magnesium turnings mixed with a solid oxidizer. Not enough rocket mix to blow the top off your rig, or you're in a world of shit. It ain't going to stop, come hell or high water, once it gets started.
The burn might take about a minute, and the P vapor produced has a place to go, under that water. Have a continuous flow of cool water running into your receiver during the burn, the heated excess splashing out. Might even want to stick a few bags of ice in there. No appreciable amounts of any other gases are produced, for the aluminum's making alumina.
Hey, this really does sound like a backyard project now! Shall we make this a method of technical importance?
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