Production of phosphorus alloys through thermal reactions and electrochemical reduction of molten apatite
Name
1256550764-MIT.pdf
Size
11.59 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
3e73ab2cd99b22a0f02a75e4ffca3eef
Author(s)
Richardson, Caleb,1792?-1820.
Advisor(s)
Antoine Allanore.
Date Issued
2020
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
A process for extracting phosphorus from fluorapatite through high temperature electrochemical means. Theoretical modelling and calculations show that P-alloys can be manufactured directly from decomposed molten fluorapatite. Nickel-phosphide is chosen as an examplary alloy both for its incredible thermodynamic stability and for its mechanical properties. Molten hydroxyapatite decomposes as it melts into two solid phosphorus rich phases, tricalcium phosphate and tetracalcium phosphate. Fluourapatite behaves in a similar manner, albeit at a higher temperature. These two calcium phosphates can be reduced to calcium oxide and oxygen in the presence of nickel, forming Ni₃P. Included in this paper is an in-depth overview of current and past phosphorus reduction methods and a discussion of their improvement.
Description
Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, May, 2020
Cataloged from the official PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 32-34).
Subjects
Materials Science and Engineering.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Terms of Use
MIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided.
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