While doing some research in the library(unfortunately, I have too little time for this), I read that white phosphorus can be turned into red phosphorus by exposing it to sunlight. Is this true? I also read that an alternative method was to heat the w. p. to 250C in an inert environment. Is this true? Just curious about some possible alternatives to the never-ending striker gathering.

Dude, the match thing is like a plague. There is nothing more laothesome. I'm currently reading up on HI by way of phosphorIC acid. It sounds a bit difficult, but who knows maybe if I can get it worked out, Swigotta may find it easy.

The white phosphorous is extremely dangerous. It can blow body parts off when it goes and it doesn't take much to set it off. I'm not sure what all makes it go boom, but I do know that it's not a good idea to mess with it.

Besides, where would you get something like that?

This may not be true. I heard once that the white powder in flourescent lights is phosphorous. Now i know that if this were true it would be turned into red simply by use or its placement. Okay, so its probably not wp but what is it?

the white powder in flourescent lights is a phosphor --> a phosphorus compound, not white p.

White p can be made into red p by heating in an inert atmosphere for a few days, sunlight will not do it. White p is also very dangerous because it ignites on contact with air, and doesn't stop burning until it is all consumed, oh and it burns really hot!

Don't mess with the insides of flourescent tubes, that is unless you want mercury poisoning.

Oh and about the phosphors --> they are optical brighteners, they convert invisible energy notably uv light into visible (lower energy) light.

[This message has been edited by tryptamine (edited 08-11-2003).]

thanks again, Tryp.