Tetraphosphorus trisulfide

Structural formula
General
Surname	Tetraphosphorus trisulfide
other names	Phosphorus sesquisulfide Phosphorus (III) sulfide Phosphorus trisulfide
Molecular formula	P 4 S 3
Brief description	yellowish odorless solid
External identifiers / databases
CAS number 1314-85-8 EC number 215-245-0 ECHA InfoCard 100.013.860 PubChem 14818 Wikidata Q2454591
properties
Molar mass	220.08 g mol −1
Physical state	firmly
density	2.03 g cm −3
Melting point	172 ° C
boiling point	407 ° C
safety instructions
GHS hazard labeling from  Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 (CLP) , expanded if necessary danger H and P phrases H: 228-260-302-400 P: ?
As far as possible and customary, SI units are used. Unless otherwise noted, the data given apply to standard conditions .

Tetraphosphorus trisulfide is an inorganic chemical compound of phosphorus from the group of sulfides .

Extraction and presentation

Tetraphosphorus trisulfide can be obtained by reacting phosphorus with sulfur . With excess sulfur, tetraphosphorus decasulfide and other phosphorus sulfides are also formed .

${\displaystyle \mathrm {4\ P+3\ S\longrightarrow P_{4}S_{3}} }$

properties

Tetraphosphorus trisulfide is a yellowish-green odorless solid that is in the form of long, air-resistant, rhombic needles. It decomposes when heated, producing phosphorus oxides and sulfur oxides . Self-ignition is possible in the presence of oxygen. In the absence of oxygen and moisture, it is still stable above 700 ° C. Decomposable by water at higher temperatures with evolution of hydrogen sulphide. Soluble in carbon disulfide and in benzene . These solutions become cloudy almost instantly in the air and gradually give a yellowish-white, voluminous precipitate. Tetraphosphorus trisulfide has an orthorhombic crystal structure with the space group Pnmb (space group no. 53, position 2) . At 39 ° C a conversion into a rhombic crystal structure with the space group R 3 (no. 146) takes place.

use

Tetraphosphorus trisulfide is used in matches that will ignite on any rough surface. The ignition head contains tetraphosphorus trisulfide and potassium chlorate , which react with each other through friction and ignite the head. The mixture was invented by French chemists Henri Sévène and Emile David Cahen. The US patent was acquired in 1900 by the Diamond Match Company , and offered to other companies for the production of safe, non-toxic all-purpose detonators, in English strike anywhere - or SAW matches for short . These matches replaced the very toxic phosphorus matches in the USA, where the safety match was not accepted for a long time. Consumers preferred extra long kitchen matches that could be pulled with one hand, e.g. B. let tear on the shoe sole.

Tetraphosphorus trisulfide is used as an additive in storm matches. This allows the match, should the flame go out due to strong winds, flare up again after the gust subsides.

Tetraphosphorus trisulfide is also called sesquisulfide in the jargon of the industry .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Entry for CAS no. 1314-85-8 in the GESTIS substance database of the IFA , accessed on May 12, 2017(JavaScript required) .
2. ↑ Entry on Tetraphosphorus trisulphide in the Classification and Labeling Inventory of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), accessed on August 1, 2016. Manufacturers or distributors can expand the harmonized classification and labeling .
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Georg Brauer (ed.), With the collaboration of Marianne Baudler a . a .: Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry. 3rd, revised edition. Volume I, Ferdinand Enke, Stuttgart 1975, ISBN 3-432-02328-6 , p. 545.
4. ^ Jean d'Ans, Ellen Lax, Roger Blachnik: Pocket book for chemists and physicists . Springer DE, 1998, ISBN 3-642-58842-5 , pp. 652 f . ( limited preview in Google Book search).
5. ↑ ^{a b c} Alexander P. Hardt: Pyrotechnics , Pyrotechnica Publications, Post Falls Idaho USA 2001, ISBN 0-929388-06-2 , pp. 74 ff.