Bromine
Bromine (Br) is a chemical element in the halogen element group. At ambient temperature bromine is a brownish-red liquid. It has a similarly colored vapor with an offensive and suffocating odor. It is the only nonmetallic element that is liquid under ordinary conditions and it evaporates easily at standard temperature and pressures.
Elemental bromine is corrosive and toxic, with properties between those of chlorine and iodine. Free bromine does not occur in nature, but occurs as colorless soluble crystalline mineral halide salts, analogous to table salt.
Bromine is a naturally occurring element that can be found in many inorganic substances. Humans many years ago began introducing organic bromines into the environment.
These compounds are not natural and can cause serious harm to human health and the environment. Bromine is corrosive to human tissue in a liquid state and its vapors irritate eyes and throat. Bromine vapors are very toxic with inhalation.
Specifications
| Gas | Bromine | Gas Density | 3.12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Symbol | Br2 | Detection Principle | Electrochemical, PID |
| PEL (ppm) | 0.1 | LEL (%) | |
| IDHL (ppm) | 10 | UEL (%) | |
| Industries | Chemical Processing | description | |
| applications |
Products
- Custom solutions are available for Bromine.
Contact CONSPEC for a custom Bromine solution.
Industrial Applications
Flame Retardants
Brominated flame retardants are an important commodity of growing importance and the most common use of bromine. When brominated material burns, the flame retardant produces hydrobromic acid, which interferes in the radical chain reaction of the oxidation reaction of the fire. The mechanism is that the highly reactive hydrogen oxygen and hydroxyl radicals react with hydrobromic acid and form less reactive, bromine radicals (free bromine atoms). These also react with radicals in the first to help terminate the reaction.
Gasoline Additives
Ethylene bromide was once a common additive to gasolines containing lead anti-knock agents. It scavenges lead by forming volatile lead bromide, which is then released as exhaust from the engine. This application accounted for 77% of the bromine uses in 1966 in the United States. This application has declined since the 1970s due to environmental regulations. These volatile organic compounds (VOCs) now are regulated as ozone depletion agents.
Drilling Fluids
The bromides of calcium, sodium, and zinc account for a sizable part of the bromine market. These salts form dense solutions in water that are used as drilling fluids sometimes called clear brine fluids.
Coal-Fired Power Plants
Bromine is also used to reduce mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants. This can be achieved either by treating activated carbon with bromine or by injecting bromine compounds onto the coal prior to combustion.
Spa Maintenance
Like chlorine, bromine is used in maintenance of swimming pools and hot tubs, where it is generated onsite from a bromide plus hydrogen peroxide. The high water temperature renders chlorinated water purification and buffering compounds unstable. Bromine compounds may also improve the life of free-halogen antimicrobials.
Other Uses
Several dyes, agrichemicals, and pharmaceuticals are organo-bromo compounds.