Question

Discuss the uses of phosphine.

Answer 1

1. Holmes’s signals, which are made up of a container containing a combination of calcium carbide and calcium phosphide, are made with phosphorus. The containers are dumped into the sea after being punctured with a few holes. When water enters the containers, a mixture of phosphine and acetylene emerges, burning the sea and catching fire in the air. This acts as a signal to the ships that are approaching.

\[\ce{Ca3P2 + 6H2O -> 3Ca(OH)2 + 2PH3}\]

\[\ce{CaC2 + 2H2O -> Ca(OH)2 + C2H2}\]

2. It is also used in making smoke screens in naval warfare.