“I came to the lab in the morning and instead of finding a concentrated

solution, as I expected, the system was completely clogged with white

crystals, like it was covered with snow,” says Cohen.

“Initially, I was disappointed that the experiment failed,” he says. But the
white stuff turned out to be pure ammonium phosphate crystals. Cohen
realized that he could use this chemistry to recover solid phosphorus
crystals without the need for evaporation—a new, more energy-efficient
method.