plante1999 - 22-2-2013 at 13:17
It is known that phosphorus pentoxide will react on heating with conc. nitric acid to make nitrogen pentoxide, or nitronium nitrate. It is also know
that 50% Nitric acid will react with red phosphorus to make phosphoric acid and nitrogen oxides.
I taught to a way of making an anhydrous, non-sulphuric acid containing highly nitrating media for very small sale application. A small amount of
matchbox phosphorus would be weted with 85%+ Nitric acid, anyone that already added 90% + nitric acid on red phosphorus know it catch fire so, the
flask is in an ice bath. Is it possible that some phosphorus pentoxide form, and make nitrogen pentoxide? If not, then one could burn the phosphorus
under a glass flask to obtain phosphorus pentoxide, and use it in the nitric acid to get the said medium.
Bot0nist - 22-2-2013 at 19:26
Can you provide a few references for those claims, just to make it a little more of a wholesome conversation starter.
Have you tried any small scale tests or proofs of concept yet, or are you still in the contemplative stage?
plante1999 - 22-2-2013 at 19:38
I didn't tried anything yet, I'm simply talking before testing.
Reference for phosphorus oxidation to nitric acid:
Synthetic Inorganic chemistry, Blanchard 5thed 1937
Reference for nitronium nitrate formation using P4O10:
Hanbook of preparative inorganic chemistry, edited by Brauer 1963
Reference for nitronium nitrate based nitration:
Nitration and aromatic reactivity, J. G Hoggett 1971
Personnal experimentation on phosphorus pentoxide production by burning phosphorus, and unremembered reference for the 90% nitric reaction on
phosphorus + some experimental evidence long time ago (for me).
Motherload - 22-2-2013 at 22:30
Elemental phosphorus would reduce HNO3 and the resulting P2O5 would absorb water. But it would reduce the overall nitrate ion concentration present.
I would rather burn the P in excess O2 and then mix with my WFNA.