PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF P4O6

The invention relates to a process for the production of P4O6 of high purity by reacting oxygen, or a mixture of oxygen and an inert gas, with gaseous or liquid phosphorus to generate said reaction product in a reaction unit. The reaction product is kept in the reaction unit at an average temperature in the range of 1600 and 2000 K by removing the heat created by the exothermic reaction of phosphorus and oxygen. A residence time of at least 1 second of the reaction product passing the reaction unit is maintained. The reaction product is then conventionally cooled in a quenching unit connected with the reaction unit. The final reaction product contains P4O6 with a very low content of elemental phosphorus.