Catalytic Synthesis of Phosphorus-Containing Extractant: Tributyl Phosphate

Abstract

By kinetics, volumetry, gas chromatography, elemental analysis, IR, NMR spectroscopy the oxidative alkoxylation of yellow phosphorus to phosphorus esters in alcohol solutions of copper and iron salts was studied using oxygen as an oxidant. The effect of temperature, oxygen partial pressure, nature and concentration of reagents was investigated on the phosphorus conversion. The novelty and relevance of research is associated with the development of “chlorine-free” direct syntheses of esters of phosphorus acids from phosphorus and alcohols. It was established that copper halides are characterized by the highest catalytic activity at a 5–10 optimal ratio of CuX2/P4 and a temperature of 60°C. The partial pressure of oxygen does not significantly affect the yield of phosphorus acid esters. Enlarged laboratory tests of the catalytic synthesis of tributyl phosphate from yellow phosphorus and butanol were carried out under optimal conditions, in which the amount of phosphorus added to the reaction was increased 20–40 times as compared with experimental studies.