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Red Phosphorus

Name: Red Phosphorus
SKU: 0

Red Phosphorus is a stable, non-toxic phosphorus variant, ideal for flame retardants in plastics/rubbers, with high thermal stability—key for electronics, construction, and automotive safety materials.

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Product Parameters

CAS	7723-14-0
EINECS	231-768-7
Molecular Formula	P₄
Molecular Weight	30.97
Package	50kg iron drums or client's request

Basic Properties

Physical Properties

Appearance and Morphology: Red phosphorus is a purplish-red or slightly brownish amorphous powder, sometimes appearing as crystals. It lacks a distinct luster and is significantly different from the waxy solid form of white phosphorus.
Density and Melting Point: Its density is approximately 2.34 g/cm³, much greater than that of white phosphorus (1.82 g/cm³). Its melting point is not fixed; it sublimes at around 430℃, but melts into a liquid state when heated to 590℃ under high pressure.
Solubility: It is insoluble in common solvents such as water, ethanol, and carbon disulfide, a significant difference from white phosphorus, which is readily soluble in carbon disulfide.
Electrical Conductivity: It is a semiconductor, exhibiting weak conductivity at room temperature, which increases with increasing temperature.

Chemical Properties

Stability: Red phosphorus is much more chemically stable than white phosphorus. It does not readily oxidize in air at room temperature and does not spontaneously combust like white phosphorus (whose auto-ignition point is approximately 30℃), while red phosphorus has an auto-ignition point as high as 240℃.
Combustibility: Red phosphorus is combustible when heated to above 240℃ or in contact with strong oxidizing agents, producing phosphorus pentoxide (P₂O₅). The reaction equation is: 4P + 5O₂ → 2P₂O₅, producing white smoke during combustion.
Reducing Properties: Red phosphorus has certain reducing properties and can react with strong oxidizing substances (such as nitric acid and chlorine). For example, when heated with concentrated nitric acid, it will be oxidized to phosphoric acid, simultaneously producing nitrogen dioxide gas.
Reaction with Halogens: Under heating conditions, red phosphorus can react with halogen elements such as chlorine and bromine to produce corresponding phosphorus halide compounds, such as phosphorus trichloride (PCl₃) and phosphorus pentachloride (PCl₅).

Main Applications

1. Flame Retardant Applications

This is the core industrial application of red phosphorus. Red phosphorus itself possesses excellent flame-retardant properties. At high temperatures, it decomposes to produce substances such as phosphoric acid and metaphosphoric acid. These substances can coat the surface of materials, forming a flame-retardant barrier while inhibiting the generation of flammable gases and interrupting the chain reaction of combustion.
It is commonly used for flame retardant applications in polymer materials, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, epoxy resin, and other plastics and rubber products. It can be used to manufacture flame-retardant wire and cable sheaths, building insulation materials, automotive interior parts, and electronic appliance housings. It can also be compounded with aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, etc., to form composite flame retardants, improving flame-retardant effects and reducing costs.

2. Safety Match Manufacturing

Red phosphorus is a key raw material for the side coating of safety match boxes. The side coating of traditional safety matches is mixed with red phosphorus, antimony trisulfide, and adhesives. When the match head (containing oxidizers such as potassium chlorate) is rubbed against the side of the box, the red phosphorus is ignited first, triggering the combustion of the match head. Because its auto-ignition point is much higher than that of white phosphorus, it significantly improves the safety of the matches.

3. Chemical Synthesis Intermediates

Phosphate Preparation: Under heating conditions, red phosphorus can react with metals (such as zinc, aluminum, and copper) to form corresponding metal phosphides. For example, zinc phosphide (Zn₃P₂) can be used to prepare rodenticides, and aluminum phosphide (AlP) is a commonly used fumigant insecticide that releases phosphine gas for pest and rodent control in storage.
Organic Synthesis: Red phosphorus can act as a reducing agent in organic synthesis reactions, such as in the reductive dehalogenation of certain halogenated hydrocarbons. It can also be used to prepare phosphorus-containing organic intermediates, providing raw materials for the synthesis of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and other products.

4. Semiconductor and Electronics Industry

Red phosphorus possesses semiconductor properties and can be used as a semiconductor dopant to adjust the conductivity of semiconductor materials, finding applications in the production of some low-end semiconductor components. Furthermore, it can be used to prepare flame-retardant packaging materials for electronic components, improving the fire resistance reliability of electronic devices.

5. Other Industrial Applications

Fireworks and Signal Flares: Red phosphorus produces bright white smoke and a certain luminous effect when burned, which can be used to manufacture smoke bombs, signal flares, etc., for signal transmission or smoke masking in military exercises, emergency rescue, and other scenarios.
Water Treatment: Small amounts of red phosphorus can be used to prepare specific water treatment agents to remove certain heavy metal ions from water bodies; however, this application is relatively limited due to environmental restrictions.

Safety Precautions

Safety Precautions:

Operating Protective Measures: Operators must wear dust masks, protective goggles, acid and alkali resistant gloves, and flame-retardant work clothes to prevent inhalation of red phosphorus dust, skin contact, or eye contact. The work area must be well-ventilated, and dust collection devices must be installed to prevent dust accumulation in the air.
Prohibited Activities: Smoking and open flames are strictly prohibited during operation. Do not strike the red phosphorus packaging or equipment with iron objects to prevent sparks from igniting the red phosphorus. Avoid prolonged contact between red phosphorus and skin; if accidental contact occurs, rinse immediately with water.
Emergency Control: In case of a small leak, cover and collect with dry sand or inert material, place in a sealed container, and dispose of properly. Do not rinse with water (red phosphorus is insoluble in water, but the dust easily clumps when wet, potentially increasing cleanup difficulty). In case of a large-scale leak, isolate the leak area, evacuate personnel, and contact a professional emergency response team.

Fire and Explosion Emergency Response

Firefighting Methods: When red phosphorus is burning, use dry powder fire extinguishers or sand to extinguish the fire. Water or foam fire extinguishers are strictly prohibited (the phosphorus pentoxide produced by red phosphorus combustion reacts with water to form corrosive phosphoric acid, and water flow may cause the fire to spread).
Explosion Prevention: When red phosphorus dust reaches a certain concentration in the air (lower explosive limit is approximately 48 g/m³), it can cause a dust explosion upon contact with an open flame. Therefore, dust concentration in the work area must be controlled, dust must be cleaned regularly, and equipment must be grounded to eliminate static electricity.

Company Profile

Junteng Chemical is a professional chemical raw materials trading company dedicated to providing customers with one-stop procurement services. Through strict supplier, supply chain, and after-sales management, the company ensures that product quality, transportation, and use meet customer needs. Furthermore, the company's technical team offers customized solutions and support services free of charge.

The company has projects in the pharmaceutical, pesticide, petrochemical, construction, food additives, wastewater treatment, adhesives, inks, paints, coatings, plastic and rubber processing, detergent raw materials, fertilizer and textile mills, and more. Junteng Chemical sources products of stable and reliable quality, collaborating with domestic and international companies such as Luxi Group, Weiyuan Chemical, Qilu Petrochemical, Dongying Lihuayi, Yanshan Petrochemical, Sinopec, Shijiazhuang Refinery, Qingdao Petrochemical, Sailboat, Dow Chemical, BASF, South Korea, Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia. Our stable supply, superior product quality, and mature logistics have earned us a wide clientele. We look forward to collaborating with all of you for a mutually beneficial future.

Company advantages

One-Stop Procurement
Platform

We integrate resources across all productcategories, including organic solvents,resins and rubbers, and inorganicchemicals,and strictly control suppliers.supply chains, and after-sales processes toensure stable quality, efficienttransportation,and worry-free use,simplifying your procurement process.

Professional Team TechnicalEmpowerment

Equipped with an experienced technicalteam, we provide free personalizedsolutions and professional technicalsupport to customers in varlous industrie,such as pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals,coatings and inks, and sewage treatment,.helping you solve problems and improveefficiency.

Global supply ChainSecurity

We work with top domestic and foreignchemical giants such as Luxi Group, QiluPetrochemical, Sinopec, BASF of Germany,and Dow of the United States to establisha stable and reliable high-quality supplynetwork and a mature logistics system toensure timely and safe delivery of
products.

Deep Win-Win CooperationConcept

Adhering to the concept of "integrity.immediate action, professionalism,innovation and win-win" and taking"customer success and altruism" as ourmission, we are committed to establishinglong-term strategic partnerships andcreating a better future through excellentproducts and services.