Bromine

Uses

Bromine compounds are widely used as flame retardants, added to plastics, textiles and electronics casings to slow the spread of fire. In the oil and gas industry, dense bromide-based brines are used as drilling and completion fluids to control pressure in wells. Bromine is also a common alternative to chlorine for disinfecting swimming pools and hot tubs, valued for staying effective across a broader range of water conditions and temperatures than chlorine does.

For much of the 20th century, silver bromide was the light-sensitive compound at the heart of photographic film, and bromine compounds still find use in pharmaceuticals and specialty chemical synthesis today, though many older bromine-based products, such as certain flame retardants and leaded-gasoline additives, have been phased out over health and environmental concerns.

History

Bromine was discovered in 1826 by French chemist Antoine Balard, who isolated it from the residue of salt marsh brine near Montpellier and recognized it as a new element distinct from both chlorine and iodine. German chemist Carl Löwig independently identified the same substance around the same time while still a student, though Balard published first and is generally credited as the discoverer. The element was named bromine from the Greek word bromos, meaning stench, a fitting description of the sharp, choking odor that made it unmistakable in the laboratory.