Production of phosphorus compounds

A process for the production of a chlorophosphorus compound selected from the group consisting of phosphorus trichloride and a mixture of phosphorus trichloride and phosphorus oxychloride, said process comprising:

• (i) recycling a liquid medium comprising said chlorophosphorus compound and adding yellow phosphorus thereto to form a condensed phase mixture of phosphorus in said liquid medium,
• (ii) inputting into said condensed phase mixture under conditions of highly-turbulent flow a gas selected from the group consisting of chlorine and a mixture of chlorine and oxygen, such that the atomic ratio of oxygen to phosphorus is less than 1:1 to form a reaction mixture, said highly-turbulent flow resulting in an apparent Reynolds number of at least 2000 and being at (a) the points of contact of said reaction mixture and said gas and (b) thereafter in a reaction zone, whereby a reaction material comprising said chlorophosphorus compound and elemental phosphorus is produced, wherein (1) the overall atomic ratio of inputted chlorine to added phosphorus is 3:1 or less and the atomic ratio of inputted oxygen to added phosphorus in the condensed phase mixture is zero to produce phosphorus trichloride, or (2) the atomic ratio of inputted oxygen to added phosphorus in the condensed phase mixture is 0.1:1 to 0.98:1 and the atomic ratio of inputted chlorine to inputted oxygen is 3:1 to 10.1 to produce a mixture of phosphorus oxychloride and phosphorus trichloride,
• (iii) cooling said reaction material and,
• (iv) recycling at least a portion of said reaction material to (i) as said liquid medium for mixing with additional yellow phosphorus.