Bromine

Bromine a red brown liquid, three times as heavy as water. The name bromine is derived from the Greek word bromos (= bad smell) due to the unpleasant, pungent smell of bromine. It was first discovered by Antoine Balard and first industrially produced around 1860.

In nature bromine is found in the shape of bromine salt or organic bromine compounds, formed by various sea organisms. Bromine is mostly found in the shape of soluble salts in seawater, salty lakes, inland seas and brine wells. Seawater contains around 60 ppm bromine, but the bromine concentration found in the inland sees and brine wells is much higher, between 2000 and 10000 ppm. Bromine is extracted from brine wells in the United States and China, the Dead Sea in Israel and Jordan and ocean water in Japan.

Pure bromine (or elementary bromine), is only used in the industry. It is used on a large scale for the production of bromine containing compounds for applications in the industry and agriculture. Bromine is used in flame retardants, disinfectants, medicines, absorption material and salt-solutions. But it is also used for the production of tubeless tires.