BROader than Expected: Bromine Uses in Everyday Life

Bromine is a chemical element known in the scientific community for its Br symbol and atomic number, which is 35. Bromine is part of the halogen family, which includes elements like chlorine and iodine. At room temperature, bromine appears as a reddish-brown liquid with a strong and highly disagreeable odor. 

Discovered in France in 1825, bromine has since played an essential role in a wide range of chemical processes that impact everyday life. Bromine facilitates a long list of applications, from flame retardants that enhance fire safety to industrial water treatment and swimming pool treatment solutions.

Uses of bromine can be found in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly as synthetic intermediates to Active Ingredients in specific pharmaceutical formulations. In addition, bromine compounds are featured prominently in agricultural solutions that improve crop yields and protect plants from pests. Another helpful use of bromine can be found in the field of energy storage and high-capacity rechargeable batteries such as bromine flow batteries and bromine lithium batteries.

Bromine does not appear as a free element in nature, but rather as salts and minerals in high salinity and mineral-rich areas such as the Dead Sea. Using advanced methods to source bromide salts from the Dead Sea, ICL isolates elemental bromine for use on its own or in bromine compounds, for a wide range of industries worldwide.  

Bromine in Flame Retardants 

Bromine and bromine derivatives are key components in flame retardants used in a wide variety of everyday items and appliances, from basic electronics, fabrics and furniture to cars, airplanes and construction materials. In case of a potential fire hazard, these flame retardants delay fire combustion and thereby increase human safety. 

When an item containing brominated flame retardants is exposed to a flame or extreme heat, it is activated, disrupting free radical chain reactions that occur during combustion, preventing free radicals from reacting with burning materials and slowing down the fire process. From the buildings that we live in to the laptops and phones we use, flame retardants help keep us and our environments safe from fire.

ICL is a global flame retardant solution leader, serving a variety of industries including building & construction, textile, automotive and transportation, and electrics & electronics. Our range of brominated flame retardants is complemented by novel FR solutions that include phosphorus-based flame retardants, magnesium-based FRs, and more. 

Bromine for Water Treatment 

Bromine has a rich history as an effective water treatment solution. Chlorine may be more well-known in this department, but in certain situations, bromine has certain merits that exceed chlorine.

Everyone knows that chlorine is used as a swimming pool disinfectant. That said, many swimming pools prefer bromine over chlorine as a water sanitation alternative. Like chlorine, bromine eliminates water-borne bacteria and algae. But bromine's advantages cannot be overlooked. For starters, bromine's stability in warmer water and higher pH levels surpasses chlorine, making it more useful in hot tubs and spa environments. But when it comes to swimming pools, bromine is milder than chlorine, and its odor is less severe. 

As for industrial water treatment, bromine helps combat one of the worst enemies of tubing and piping: biofilm. This bacterial lining is often formed in water conditions, clogging key infrastructures in cooling towers, paper mills and oil drilling operations – hurting day-to-day efficiency. ICL is a global expert in bromine-based anti-microbial solutions for industrial applications, which reduce biofilm and address other water treatment challenges including fungi and algae. Proven industrial water treatment solutions like Fuzzicide, Bactebrom and Bromosol exhibit high efficiency in high pH conditions.

Bromine in Pharmaceuticals 

Bromine use in the pharmaceutical industry goes way back. In the distant past, bromine compounds – bromides, for example – were used as sedatives, anti-convulsants and antiseptics. These uses of bromine are very outdated, and rarely take place anymore.  

Today, bromine is used by the pharmaceutical industry as a key component in the synthesis of various medicinal compounds. The introduction of a bromine atom into specific molecules helps change the compounds' chemical properties, making them more effective or selective. Therefore, using bromine-based intermediates enables the synthesis of Active Ingredients (API, AI), which, in turn, function as key building blocks in a variety of pharmaceutical formulations. A commonly used example of a drug that contains a bromine API is Bromhexine, which treats mucus buildup in the respiratory tract. 

Bromine in the Field of Energy

The energy industry is changing, and bromine plays a significant role in both traditional practices and exciting future-oriented applications. 

Oil and gas drilling is still central to the world's energy production and consumption. Deepwater drilling often requires bromine-based drilling and completion fluids, which serve many functions such as a lubricant for bits and tools while controlling hydrostatic pressure in the well. In cold weather environments, bromine brines ensure a low freezing point.

Alongside its ability to increase production efficiency in oil and gas drilling, bromine also helps reinvent energy storage through bromine-based flow batteries, which are rechargeable and therefore aligned with renewable energy standards. Bromine-based electrolytes, which form the basis of these batteries' chemistry, are both recyclable and reusable. Furthermore, they usually offer superior storage performance, for longer timeframes.

One of bromine's most essential uses in the energy sector comes in the form of mercury oxidization that helps reduce air pollution. Sources of elemental bromine and bromine compounds such as MERQUEL are used by coal-fired power stations to control their mercury emissions and comply with strict environmental standards. Bromine reacts with the mercury, converting significant amounts of the pollutant into controllable and removable ionic species.

Bromine Safety Measures 

Bromine's high usefulness is demonstrated across many industries. Yet due to its toxicity and corrosiveness, bromine safety must always be a top priority. Careful handling must be exercised in order to avoid health and environmental risks. As highly regulated substance, bromine is subject to strict international guidelines when it comes to use, disposal, emergency procedures and new applications. 

ICL's commitment to bromine safety has led to the development of BromoQuel®, a patented bromine neutralization system that assists industrial plants and laboratories in treating bromine leakage incidents quickly and safely. BromoQuel® – which is an advanced and easy-to-use extinguishing unit – does not replace traditional leakage treatment. Rather, by treating the spilled bromine from a safe distance, it precedes the traditional treatment, offering a first response that increases both human safety and sustainability.

Leading Safe Progress: ICL's Bromine Solutions 

ICL Industrial Products is a global leader in bromine manufacturing for diverse industries. Sourcing bromine from the Dead Sea, ICL offers its customers bromine-based solutions that are high in quality, unrivaled in production capacity and carry a low carbon footprint. From advanced bromine-based battery solutions and bromine sources for pharma and agro applications, to next-generation brominated flame retardants, ICL is fulfilling bromine's full potential for everyday use.