Bromine in the nature

Where is it found?

Bromine is found in nature only in combination with other elements. Most bromine is obtained almost directly from ordinary sea water and brine mixtures left over from the production of potassium salts.

Abundance of Bromine

Where is Bromine used ?: 

Summary:

Much of the bromine output in the U.S. was used in the production of ethylene dibromide, a lead scavenger used in making gasoline antiknock compounds. Lead in gasoline, however, has been drastically reduced, due to environmental considerations. This will greatly affect future production of bromine.

Bromine is also used in making fumigants, flameproofing agents, water purification compounds, dyes, medicinals, sanitizers, inorganic bromides for photography, etc.
Organic bromides are also important.

More in detail:

The first known use of a bromine-containing product was as a dye used to create the color "royal purple" in ancient Rome. The bromine-containing chemical was produced naturally by marine mussels and extracted for use as the purple dye. This was an arduous process and only the very wealthy could afford clothes of this particular hue. Hence, the name "royal purple".

Today, bromine's use has expanded to a wide variety of products. Bromine is used in the manufacture of fire retardants, water treatments, dyes, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and gasoline additives amongst other things. The manufacture of flame retardants is the most important use of bromine. Bromine is one of the few chemical elements with fire-resistance properties.

Bromine-containing chemicals are used in swimming pools and industrial cooling towers to control algae, bacteria, and odors. Some bromine-containing pesticides are used in the production or storage of food crops. Bromine also is used in the production of oil and gas well completion drilling fluids. Thanks to bromine chemicals, we now have photographic films and papers, dyes, inks, sedatives, analgesics, anesthetics and other drugs, hydraulic fluids, refrigerating and dehumidifying agents, and hair-waving preparations.


Brominated Flame Retardants

Bromine is used as the building block for some of the most effective flame-retarding agents available to the plastics industry today. They are used to protect against the risk of accidental fire in such as computers, televisions, radios, stereo systems, video players, and in products made of textiles and wood. Brominated flame retardants also are used to improve the fire safety of foam padding used in upholstered furniture, in the plastic coating on electrical wire, and even in carpeting.

Brominated flame retardants, as all flame retardants, act to decrease the risk of fire by reducing the risk that an object will ignite. Many everyday objects are treated with flame retardants so that common occurrences -- such as a TV or computer being left on all night and overheating, an electrical short circuit occurring in an electronic device, or cigarettes accidentally dropping on a sofa or curtain -- do not result in a fire.

In addition to reducing the likelihood that an item will ignite, flame retardants hinder the spread of the fire, and provide valuable extra time in the early stages of a fire when it is much easier to escape. A room fire can very quickly escalate to the point where enough heat is generated that all combustible material in the room bursts into flames. This situation is known as "flash-over" and can occur in a matter of minutes from ignition. Flame retardants slow down the initial burn rate and thereby can help increase the time to flash-over, giving the occupant more time to escape.


Fire Extinguishants

Where accidental fires have started, bromine-containing compounds are frequently used as fire-extinguishing agents. Some are excellent vaporizing liquid flame-extinguishing agents used in commercial fire and explosion suppression systems. Some have been used in combination with an inert siliceous powder to extinguish fires on liquid chlorosilanes. This system is superior to other extinguishers because it does not evolve the toxic gases that are generated when water or conventional carbonate extinguishers are used.

Pharmaceuticals

Many active ingredients in over-the-counter or prescription drugs contain bromine. Many others rely on brominated intermediates during their manufacture. One example is the general anesthetic, halothane, which contains a bromine atom in its chemical structure.

• Naproxen, a new analgesic, utilizes a brominated intermediate in its manufacture.
• The antihistamine, bromopheniramine maleate, and the cough medicine dextromethorphan hydrobromide, also utilize bromine in their make-up.
• 1-Bromogalanthamine is being developed for potential use in treating Alzheimer's Disease.
• Bromhexine improved the performance of amoxicillin in the treatment of pneumonia. 
• Bromocriptine is effective in the treatment of cocaine addiction.
• Many of the commonly used sedatives, antihistamines and antitussives can be made at a lower cost thanks to bromine chemistry.
• Some of the new anti-cancer drugs will be made using bromine chemistry.

Biocides and Pesticides

A number of bromine-containing products are used as biocides and pesticides. Brominated biocides are used in recreational      (swimming pools) and industrial water treatment to control algae and bacterial growth and odor. The main bromine compounds used in biocide applications are sodium bromide and bromochlorodimethylhydantoin.

Certain brominated chemicals are also very effective pesticides. Methyl bromide is a highly effective soil fumigant and fumigant for stored grain and produce. Historically, methyl bromide has been used to treat insect and nematode infestations in high value crops, including strawberries, tomatoes, melons, and tobacco.


Solvents

Many solvent users are switching from chlorinated solvents to brominated solvents because of

• the need for less toxic cleaning solvents to increase worker safety,
• concerns about ozone depletion issues, and
• the need to reduce volatile organic emission (VOCs).
  

Brominated solvents are excellent options for users who want to obtain optimal cleaning performance and low-to-no flammability.

Oil field chemicals

The world's oilfields rely on bromine chemicals for completion and work-over. These same chemicals provide drillers with high-performance fluids for horizontal drilling and drilling in deep, high pressure fields.

Photographic chemicals

Bromine compounds have a number of applications in photography. Several compounds are used to make the all-important light-sensitive component of a photographic emulsion - without these bromine compounds your pictures will not capture the light. Other bromine compounds are used as an ingredient in photo developing solutions - without them your pictures wouldn't be developed.

Other Uses of Bromine Chemicals

Bromine compounds are being tested in new batteries for electric vehicles designed to have zero emissions. This potential market for bromine compounds may have a big positive impact on our environment.