Process for separation and purification of alkyl phosphoric acids

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING AND PURIFYING THE MONO-AND DI-ALKYL FORMS''S OF A PHOSPHORIC ACID WHEREIN THE ALKYL SUBSTITUENT RADICAL CONTAINS LESS THAN NINE CARBON ATOMS, THE STEPS COMPRISING EQUILIBRATING SUCH PHOSPHORIC ACIDS WITH A FIRST PHASE EXHIBITING AQUEOUS CHARACTERISTICS AND COMPOSED OF A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF WATER IN THE CASE OF ALL SUCH ACIDS HAVING ALKYL RADICALS SMALLER THAN OCTYL AND DIETHYLENE GLYCOL IN THE CASE OF OCTYL PHOSPHORIC ACID AND WITH A SECOND PHASE COMPOSED OF MATERIALS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AMYL ALCOHOL, DIETHYL CARBITOL, DIISOPROPYL ETHER, DIBUTYL ETHER, DIETHYL ETHER AND METHYL ISOBUTYL KETONE, WHEREBY THE MONO-ALKYL FORM OF SUCH ACID PREFERENTIALLY ENTERS SAID FIRST PHASE AND THE DI-ALKYL FORM PREFERENTIALLY ENTERS SAID SECOND PHASE SEPARATING SAID PHASES, AND WASHING THE SEPARATED PHASES WITH THE SOLVENT OF THE OTHER PHASE TO REMOVE MINOR AMOUNTS OF THE SECONDARY COMPONENT THEREBY PURIFYING THE PRIMARY CONSTITUENT EXTRACTED THEREIN.