What is white phosphorus used for?

DESCRIPTION: White phosphorus is a toxic substance produced from phosphate-containing rocks. Industries use white phosphorus to manufacture chemicals used in fertilizers, food additives, and cleaning compounds. In the past, it was used as a pesticide and in fireworks.

How do white phosphorus bombs work?

In addition to its offensive capabilities, white phosphorus is a highly efficient smoke-producing agent, reacting with air to produce an immediate blanket of phosphorus pentoxide vapor. These create smoke screens to mask friendly forces’ movement, position, infrared signatures, or shooting positions.

When was white phosphorus invented?

1669
White phosphorus was discovered in 1669 by Hamburg, Germany, pharmacist/alchemist Hennig Brandt (in some accounts, Brand), who is the subject of the painting The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus by Joseph Wright.

Why is white phosphorus not a chemical weapon?

Because it has legal uses, white phosphorus is not banned as a chemical weapon under international conventions. But some U.S. military training manuals say its use against people is banned. It is a colorless or yellowish translucent wax-like substance that smells a bit like garlic and ignites on contact with oxygen.

Do militaries still use white phosphorus?

White phosphorus laws mean Turkey is not alone “It’s typically used in most conventional arms stores in militaries across the world and its usually used to provide a smoke screen, typically to extract or recover forces in the battlefield,” he said.

Is white phosphorus still an effective weapon today?

Despite the significant secondary incendiary effects, even if Protocol III did govern the use of WP, its direct use against enemy personnel would not be prohibited. This is not a loophole but instead is exactly what states intended under Protocol III. The CWC bans the use of chemical weapons.

Why do artillery shells explode?

as I understand it, artillery shells explode when they hit the ground because there’s a small amount of volatile chemical inside the round that ignites when it experiences high levels of acceleration, which makes the main charge explode.

Why is white phosphorus more reactive?

White phosphorus is the one which is more reactive than red phosphorus as white phosphorus has angular strain in P4​ molecules having all the angles of only 60o. It actually changes to red phosphorus, by a transformation which is accelerated by light and heat.

Is white phosphorus actually white?

White phosphorus is a colorless, white, or yellow waxy solid with a garlic-like odor. It does not occur naturally, but is manufactured from phosphate rocks. White phosphorus reacts rapidly with oxygen, easily catching fire at temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above room temperature.

Is white phosphorus still used in warfare?

White phosphorus is routinely held by militaries around the world and is used legally in combat as a smokescreen in daytime and as an incendiary to light up an area at night. But it is illegal to use it against civilians, because it causes serious and exceptionally painful burns on contact with skin.

What was white phosphorus used for in WW2?

White phosphorus has been used since World War I both as an incendiary agent and for creating smoke screens or smoke signals. Munitions containing white phosphorus were used extensively in World War II , the Vietnam War, and the Korea War, including as an anti-personnel weapon.

Does the CWC prohibit the use of white phosphorus?

MacLeod and Rogers conclude that because even anti-personnel uses of white phosphorus munitions rely on the incendiary and smoke producing rather than on the toxic properties of WP, the CWC fails to prohibit munitions containing WP.

What is the common name for white phosphorus?

White phosphorus is used in smoke, illumination, and incendiary munitions, and is commonly the burning element of tracer ammunition. Other common names include WP and the slang term “Willie Pete” or “Willie Peter” derived from William Peter, the World War II phonetic alphabet for “WP”, which is still sometimes used in military jargon.

Is there a treaty against using white phosphorus?

Treaty law. No treaty deals specifically with ‘white phosphorus’, ‘white phosphorus weapons’, or ‘white phosphorus munitions’ as a means of warfare, but several treaties regulate munitions containing white phosphorus (WP).