Usually, various industries use bromine today in their production. Modern uses of bromine are numerous and different. In the periodic table, bromine belongs in the halogens group, which contains iodine, chlorine as well as fluorine. Its non-metallic nature and the fact that it can be found in a form that is liquid at room temperatures defines why it is a unique element in the periodic table.
To humans, bromine is known to be harmful and usually the most affected are the eyes, skin as well the respiratory tract. The list of some important bromine uses can be used in answering the use of bromine.
In liquid form, bromine is reddish-brown in color and a pungent smell is usually given by its vapors plus a red color and in carbon disulfide and solvents like methanol acetic acid, it was found out that bromine is more soluble in this rather than water. Bromine is usually used in industrial applications in its compound form where by one electron is only needed to complete an electron octet in the outermost shell. Bromine also acts as an oxidizing agent and in fact a very strong one at that.
There are also other uses of bromine as seen in fire retardant chemicals and making of brominated flame detergents is one of the bromine’s important uses. This is due to the fact that they facilitate inhibition of combustible material. This is what is used in industries that deal with plastic products like cables, connectors as well as plastic covers. Products like carpets upholstery, kitchen appliances and paints have bromine in their components.
In addition, to prevent products from catching fire, bromine is used in the clothing as well as furniture industries. The electronic industries also use it in Printed circuit boards that are safe from fire especially in computers are made by use of bromine. Few examples of chemical retardants that are made by use of bromine are like polybrominated biphenyl, hexabromocyclododecane among others.
Bromine can be used also as a disinfectant and this can be seen by its use as a bleaching agent, which is used to disinfect water. Water from the cooling tower and the swimming pools is the one usually disinfected. Bromine can also be used as a sanitizer and this is usually in areas where there is minimal or no chance that it come into contact with food. Usually, controlling bacteria, fungi and algae is the main reason is used as a sanitizer. For disinfection of industrial water, bromine is the most preferred.
Bromine can also be used in water purification compounds where it is used in making compounds that are normally used in systems for water purification. However, bromine can prove harmful especially if found in larger levels in water and quantities that are 100mg/deciliters are regarded as the lowest bromine toxic levels.
Bromine can also be used in medicines, dyes, film photography as well as pesticides.
