Phosphine

A movie of impure phosphine igniting spontaneously in air. The gas was generated by adding sodium phosphide on aluminium foil to water. The main impurity, diphosphane, was responsible for spontaneous combustion. Phosphine and diphosphane are both very toxic.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• phosphine
• diphosphane
• phosphorus
• phosphide
• spontaneous
• combustion
• chemistry
• fire
• chemical
• reaction
• instant
• poison
• gas

[evansp12]

A little bit, but it smells more like that of garlic.

[dubldeka]

100 years ago every one knew fire and how to make it in a more intimate way than today.

There was a type of chemical in a bottle that when you pulled the dip wick out it would ignite in a flame on exposure to air.

Instant chemical fire.

The bottle was small and could be carried in a pocket.

They were dangerous of course and set many pockets alight, but useful, clever, wonderful and now totally forgotten.

Do you know of it?

[evansp12]

Very interesting, this is the first time I've heard of it.

Although I might be wrong, I think the chemical may well have been dimethyl zinc, if not, diethyl zinc (or the mixture of 2). Both liquids are spontaneously combustible in contact with air.

There's an interesting video, Zinc (new version), on 'periodicvideos' that features spontaneous ignition of diethyl zinc.

[stylcd]

how do you make metal phosphides?

[evansp12]

By heating metals with phosphorus in the absence of air. Strongly electropositive metals react quite violently with it (especially with white phosphorus).

[Basco36]

can you make phosphorous from phosphine?

[evansp12]

Yes. Phosphine is thermally unstable, and if heated in absence of air/oxygen to over 440 C, decomposition occurs forming the elements (hydrogen and phosphorus), so you can make phosphorus this way.

Also, if phosphine is burnt in a very limited supply of air, some free phosphorus may well be formed, especially if the flame is in contact with a cold object.

[vinylsingleman]

Is it true that phosphine smells like rotten fish?

[plasticraincoat1]

Thanks for all the info and demo - i must try this myself - for more phosphine fun check out my channel plasticraincoat1 where you will see an extended video of phosphorus and sodium hydroxide reacting together to produce beautiful smoke rings!

[Cforchemistry]

Very good very on pyrophoric gases, I have also tried siliane, but result are weaker.

[antiswattt]

nnnnice xD

[ljfaag]

And the fume is composed of phosphorus pentoxide, right?

[Daisar1]

Phospine is not a chemical to play with.. Buy phosporus, dont use this method, if you arent a really good chemist..

[njudit]

I might be wrong, but what we see on this video is PH3. It is a PH3 pest control fumigator device simply dropped into water. PH3 is the only chemical used in Hungary for pest control purposes, highly toxic for humans too, and simply explodes in the presence of water.

[njudit]

I might be wrong about the followings: but Phosphine is PH3. Watching this video, I am quite certain that pest control fumigator device was dropped simply into water. I emphasize water, because PH3 simply spontaniously explodes if high humidity is present. PH3 is the only fumigator chemical used in Hungary for pest control purpose. It is highly toxic!

[ducksan]

I know there was a match that was ignited by dipping it in sulfuric acid. This may or may not be the kind of thing you're thinking of.