Production of phosphine

摘要

Phosphine is produced from elementary yellow phosphorus and an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution in the presence of an alcohol. The phosphine is more particularly made by using an alcohol having from 5 to 10 carbon atoms and a dissolving power for yellow phosphorus of more than 5 g/l; suspending the phosphorus with agitation in the said alcohol in a reaction zone; reacting the resulting suspension with the alkali metal hydroxide solution at temperatures lower than the boiling point of the alcohol; and collecting the resulting issuing gaseous phosphine.