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Zinc Phosphide

 
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Zinc phosphide
 
 
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Zinc phosphide (Zn3
Zinc

Zinc is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a first-row transition metal of the group 12 element of the periodic table....
P2
Phosphorus

Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. The name comes from the and . A Valency nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus is commonly found in inorganic phosphate minerals....
) is an inorganic chemical compound
Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a Chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical element Chemical bond together in a fixed mass ratio that can be split into simpler substances....
.

Metal phosphides have been used as rodenticides. A mixture of food and zinc phosphide is left where the rodents can eat it. The acid in the digestive system of the rodent reacts with the phosphide to generate the toxic phosphine
Phosphine

Phosphine is the common name for phosphorus trihydride , also known by the IUPAC name phosphane and, occasionally, phosphamine....
 gas. This method of vermin control has possible use in places where rodents immune to many of the common poisons have appeared.






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Zinc phosphide (Zn3
Zinc

Zinc is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a first-row transition metal of the group 12 element of the periodic table....
P2
Phosphorus

Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. The name comes from the and . A Valency nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus is commonly found in inorganic phosphate minerals....
) is an inorganic chemical compound
Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a Chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical element Chemical bond together in a fixed mass ratio that can be split into simpler substances....
.

Metal phosphides have been used as rodenticides. A mixture of food and zinc phosphide is left where the rodents can eat it. The acid in the digestive system of the rodent reacts with the phosphide to generate the toxic phosphine
Phosphine

Phosphine is the common name for phosphorus trihydride , also known by the IUPAC name phosphane and, occasionally, phosphamine....
 gas. This method of vermin control has possible use in places where rodents immune to many of the common poisons have appeared. Other pesticides similar to zinc phosphide are aluminium phosphide
Aluminium phosphide

Aluminium phosphide is the chemical compound with the chemical formula AlP. This colourless solid is generally sold as a grey-green-yellow powder due to the presence of impurities arising hydrolysis and oxidation....
 and calcium phosphide
Calcium phosphide

Calcium phosphide is a chemical that has uses in incendiary bombs. It has the appearance of red-brown crystalline powder or grey lumps, with melting point of 1600 ?C....
.

Zinc phosphide is typically added to rodent baits in amount of around 0.75-2%. The baits have strong, pungent garlic-like odor characteristic for phosphine
Phosphine

Phosphine is the common name for phosphorus trihydride , also known by the IUPAC name phosphane and, occasionally, phosphamine....
 liberated by hydrolysis
Hydrolysis

Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction during which one or more water are split into hydrogen and hydroxide ions which may go on to participate in further reactions....
. The odor attracts rodents, but has a repulsive effect on other animals; birds, notably wild turkey
Wild Turkey

The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is one of two species of turkey , the other being the Ocellated Turkey, found in Central America....
s, are not sensitive to the smell. The baits have to contain sufficient amount of zinc phosphide in sufficiently attractive food in order to kill rodents in a single serving; a sublethal dose may cause aversion towards zinc-phosphide baits encountered by surviving rodents in the future.

Rodenticide-grade zinc phosphide usually comes as a black powder containing 75% of zinc phosphide and 25% of antimony potassium tartrate
Tartaric acid

Tartaric acid is a white crystalline organic acid. It occurs naturally in many plants, particularly grapes, bananas, and tamarinds, and is one of the main acids found in wine....
, an emetic to cause vomiting if the material is accidentally ingested by humans or domestic animals. However, it is still effective against rats, mice, guinea pigs and rabbits, all of which do not have a vomiting reflex.

Conditions/substances to avoid contact of zinc phosphide with are: acid
Acid

An acid is traditionally considered any chemical compound that, when dissolved in water, gives a solution with a hydrogen ion Activity greater than in pure water, i.e....
s, water
Water

Water is a common chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of life. In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or States of matter, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam....
, carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalent bond to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state....
 and strong oxidizing agent
Oxidizing agent

An oxidizing agent can be defined as either:#a chemical compound that readily transfers oxygen atoms, or#a substance that gains electrons in a redox chemical reaction...
s.

Reactions


Zinc phosphide can be prepared by the reaction of zinc with phosphorus:

3 Zn + 2 P ? Zn3P2


Zinc phosphide will react with water to produce phosphine
Phosphine

Phosphine is the common name for phosphorus trihydride , also known by the IUPAC name phosphane and, occasionally, phosphamine....
 (PH3) and zinc hydroxide
Zinc hydroxide

Zinc hydroxide Zinc2 is an inorganic chemical compound. It also occurs naturally as 3 rare minerals: w?lfingite , ashoverite and sweetite ....
 (Zn(OH)2):

Zn3P2 + 6 H2O ? 2 PH3 + 3 Zn(OH)2


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