Bromine 101: Get to Know This Essential Resource

Nov. 12, 2024

Bromine may not come first to mind when you think of earth’s elements, but it plays a significant part in the safety of our homes, appliances and water supply. Albemarle’s expertise in brine and process chemistry has made us a leading producer of bromine and bromine derivatives. 

Bromine is a common element in flame retardants, and it has a wide range of applications that help improve the safety of water treatment facilities, pharmaceuticals and other industries and products that are part of our everyday lives.  

Learn more about this important element and our decades of experience with this essential resource.   

Bromine (Br) is a chemical element that is liquid at room temperature and evaporates easily to form a vapor. Both the liquid and vapor are reddish brown. It was first discovered in the 1820s by German chemist Carl Jacob Löwig, who noticed a brown gas after treating mineral salts with chlorine. French chemist Antoine Jérôme Balard is credited with having independently made the same discovery while extracting iodine from seaweed.   

Bromine is a unique molecule that can function as an oxidizer, impact light absorption, form stable radicals, create polar molecules and exhibit a high redox potential. That makes it well-suited for processing into a wide range of bromine products and derivatives that can be used for fire safety, manufacturing, water treatment, food safety and more.  

Elemental bromine is a halogen, similar to fluorine, chlorine and iodine. It doesn’t occur as a free element in nature; rather, it must be isolated from soluble mineral salts, such as those found in seawater or saltwater brine. Today, salt lakes and brine wells are the most common sources of raw materials for bromine producers such as Albemarle.  

The first commercial application of bromine was in 1840 as a replacement for iodine vapor to create silver halide on tin plates, which could then be used in an early photographic process known as daguerreotype.  

By 1858, bromine was in regular production as a byproduct of potash, a critical material in 19^th century agriculture, manufacturing and homemaking. During the American Civil War, a solution of bromine was widely used to treat gangrene. Later in the 19^th century, medicinal uses included anticonvulsants and sedatives, but over time, other compounds came into favor for those purposes.  

In the 20^th century, bromine researchers discovered that the element can stop free radical chemical chain reactions at high temperatures, making it an excellent flame retardant. More than half of the bromine produced worldwide annually is now used for this purpose. 

Other typical uses for bromine include:  

• Chemical synthesis  
• Oil and gas well drilling and completion fluids  
• Mercury remediation  
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing  
• Paper manufacturing  
• Water treatment and purification  
• Fungicides  
• Biocides  
• Disinfectants and sanitizers  
• Agricultural insecticides  
• Additives (e.g. glass, rubber, detergents, solvents and cleaning agents)  

As one of the world’s largest suppliers of bromine and bromine derivatives, we have safely and responsibly extracted bromine from brine since the 1960s. Today, we have bromine operations in Magnolia, Arkansas, as well as a joint venture in Safi, Jordan. In addition, we conduct bromine research at our Process Development Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

Albemarle solutions are critical to many essential industries covering manufacturers, component providers, material compounders and others. Our bromine-based products enable industries to grow, lifting local economies and improving lives.