White phosphorus. It is a common allotrope of the chemical element phosphorus that has had extensive military use as an incendiary agent, an agent for creating smoke screens, and as an antipersonnel flaming component capable of causing severe burns.
Summary
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- 1 Physico-chemical characteristics
- 1 Formula: P4
- 2 Allotropy
- 2 Collection and use
- 1 Uses
- 3 History
- 4 Risks
- 1 Exposure to weapons
- 2 Smoke inhalation
- 3 Ingestion
- 5 Sources
Physicochemical characteristics
Formula: P4
It is a solid, translucent wax that quickly turns yellow when exposed to light. For this reason it is also called yellow phosphorous. It glows green in the dark (when exposed to oxygen ), is highly flammable and pyrophoric (catches on its own) on contact with air as well as toxic. The stench generated by combustion in this way has a characteristic garlic odor . It is slightly soluble in water and can be stored under water. In fact, white phosphorous is only safe from self ignition when immersed in water
Allotropy
It is understood by the ability of certain chemical elements to present themselves with different chemical structures or with different physical characteristics, although it is necessary to clarify that for a chemical element to be considered allotropic, it must be in the same state. That is, if an element is originally a solid, its allotropic version must also be a solid, as in the case of Phosphorus.
Obtaining and use
The white allotrope can be produced using different methods. In the industrial process, phosphate rock is heated in either an electronic or fuel- based furnace in the presence of carbon and silicon oxide. Elemental phosphorus is subsequently released as vapor and can be collected under phosphoric acid.
Applications
– Agent for smoke screens.
– Smoke grenades for the Infantry , grenade launcher ammunition, tanks, armored vehicles, artillery pieces and mortars.
History
The first use of white phosphorus is believed to have been in the 19th century , in a phosphorus solution with carbon disulfide. When the disulfide had evaporated, the white phosphorus burned, and probably also burned the highly flammable disulfide, creating fumes. This mixture was known as “Fenian fire” and is claimed to have been used in the First World War .
The British Army introduced the first white phosphor grenades in late 1916 . In World War II , white phosphorous bombs, rockets, and grenades were used extensively by American, Commonwealth, and to a lesser extent Japanese forces, both to create smoke screens and against human targets.
During the Normandy campaign , 20% of the 81mm mortar charges were white phosphorous. There are at least five citations to the Medal of Honor mentioning the use of phosphor grenades to clear enemy positions. During the liberation of Cherbourg in 1944, the mortar battalion launched 11,899 white phosphorous shells into the city.
According to military files, white phosphorous was first used in large quantities by the US flying fortresses B-52 over Tokyo before Hiroshima, causing the collapse of Japanese hospitals.
In 1989 the Argentine military army used white phosphorus illegally against the MPT armed group that had taken the Tablada regiment, causing several deaths.
White phosphorous ammunition has been used in other conflicts such as the Korean War and the Vietnam War . It has also been used by Morocco against the Sahrawi people. According to GlobalSecurity.org, “In December 1994, in the Battle of Grozny in Chechnya, between a quarter and a fifth of the Russian artillery or mortar shells were smoke or white phosphorous.” It has also been used in the Israel-Palestine conflict causing numerous victims.
Risks
Exposure to weapons
The incandescent particles of white phosphorus produced in the initial explosion can cause deep, extensive and painful second and third degree burns. Phosphorus burns carry a higher mortality than other types of burns due to the absorption of phosphorus in the body through the areas reached, resulting in damage to internal organs such as the heart, liver or kidney. These weapons are particularly dangerous to personnel because white phosphorus burns unless it is deprived of oxygen or until it is completely consumed, in some cases reaching the burn to the bone.
Smoke inhalation
The combustion of white phosphorus creates a dense, warm white cloud. Most forms of smoke are not dangerous in concentrations produced by some type of these weapons. However, exposure to high concentrations of any kind over a long period (especially if it is close to the emission source) has the potential to cause harm and even death. White phosphorus smoke irritates the eyes and nose in moderate concentrations. With long exposures, a chronic cough can occur. However, there are no deaths recorded from the effects of smoke solely during combat operations and to date there have been no confirmed deaths as a result of exposure to white phosphorous smoke.
Ingestion
The accepted lethal pain when white phosphorus is ingested is 1 mg / kg, although ingestion of 15 mg may already be fatal. It can also damage the liver, heart, or kidney.
