Element 35 · Halogen
Bromine
Bromine — the brown liquid halogen used in flame retardants and water treatment.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Br
ATOMIC NO.
35
ATOMIC WEIGHT
79.904
CATEGORY
Halogen
PERIOD
Period 4
GROUP
Group 17
Origins
Bromine was discovered independently in 1825 by Antoine Jérôme Balard in France and in 1826 by Carl Jacob Löwig in Germany. Named from the Greek “bromos” meaning stench, due to its sharp, unpleasant smell. In the 19th and 20th centuries it was used extensively in photographic film (silver bromide), as an anti-knock additive in leaded petrol, and in early fire extinguishers (halon compounds).
Modern Applications
Bromine’s largest current use is in flame retardants, particularly in printed circuit boards and textiles (brominated flame retardants are effective but increasingly regulated due to environmental concerns). Other uses include biocides for water treatment (cooling towers, swimming pools), clear brine fluids in oil well drilling, and agricultural pesticides.
At the Yard
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Bromine:
Bromine is a corrosive, toxic reddish-brown liquid under normal conditions — not a metal, and not found in standard scrap streams. It is produced from sea water or underground brine wells. There is no scrap recycling pathway for bromine.
Market Value
Elemental bromine trades at approximately £800–2,000/tonne. Produced mainly in the USA (Arkansas brine wells), Israel, and China. Not a scrap material.