Phosphorous acid salts and method of preparing same

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY PRODUCING ALKALI METAL PHOSPHITES, WHICH COMPRISES CNTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING PHOSPHORUS TRICHLORIDE INTO A HEEL OF AT LEAST 50% PHOSPHORUS ACID AT A RATE EFFECTING HYDROLYSIS OF AT LEAST 66% BYT SUBSTANTTIALLY LESS THAN 100% OF SAID TRICHLORIDE INTO LIQUID PHOSPHOROUS ACID AND A VOLATILIZED PRODUCT INCLUDING UNREACTED PHOSPHORUS TRICHLORIDE AND HYDROGEN CHLORIDE, CONTINUOUSLY CONTACTING SAID VOLATILIZED PRODUCT WITH WATER TO SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY HYDROLYZE SAID UNREACTED PHOSPHORUS TRICHLORIDE TO PHOSPHOROUS ACID, CONTINUOUSLY REACTING SAID PHOSPHOROUS ACID WITH AN ALKALI METAL COMPOUND IN THE PROPORTIONS REQUIRED TO YIELD THE DESIRED SALT, SAID HYDROLYSIS REACTION BEING CARRIED OUT AT A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST EQUIVALENT TO THE BOILING POINT OF PHOSPHORUS TRICHLORIDE BUT BELOW THAT TEMPERATURE AT WHICH SUBSTANTIAL DECOMPOSITION OF SAID TRICHLORIDE INTO PRODUCTS OTHER THAN PHOSPHOROUS ACID TAKES PLACE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY PRODUCING ALKALI METAL PHOSPHITES, WHICH COMPRISES CNTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING PHOSPHORUS TRICHLORIDE INTO A HEEL OF AT LEAST 50% PHOSPHORUS ACID AT A RATE EFFECTING HYDROLYSIS OF AT LEAST 66% BYT SUBSTANTTIALLY LESS THAN 100% OF SAID TRICHLORIDE INTO LIQUID PHOSPHOROUS ACID AND A VOLATILIZED PRODUCT INCLUDING UNREACTED PHOSPHORUS TRICHLORIDE AND HYDROGEN CHLORIDE, CONTINUOUSLY CONTACTING SAID VOLATILIZED PRODUCT WITH WATER TO SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY HYDROLYZE SAID UNREACTED PHOSPHORUS TRICHLORIDE TO PHOSPHOROUS ACID, CONTINUOUSLY REACTING SAID PHOSPHOROUS ACID WITH AN ALKALI METAL COMPOUND IN THE PROPORTIONS REQUIRED TO YIELD THE DESIRED SALT, SAID HYDROLYSIS REACTION BEING CARRIED OUT AT A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST EQUIVALENT TO THE BOILING POINT OF PHOSPHORUS TRICHLORIDE BUT BELOW THAT TEMPERATURE AT WHICH SUBSTANTIAL DECOMPOSITION OF SAID TRICHLORIDE INTO PRODUCTS OTHER THAN PHOSPHOROUS ACID TAKES PLACE.