BromoQuel™
Bromine is utilized in multiple applications and industries. Elemental Bromine is liquid at room temperature with high vapor pressure. It is a strong oxidizer and accidental exposure to it without protection means may cause irritation, burns and poisoning, depending on the exposure severity. In addition, bromine leakage poses an environmental hazard.
Since elemental bromine has high vapor pressure, a bromine leak demands a fast response time in order to contain the spill and prevent further contamination spreading.
The current available procedure in the case of an emergency of a bromine leak includes a complex and time-consuming method comprising several different chemical substances working in parallel. The liquid bromine phase is often treated with Lime Ca(OH)2 and water while the gaseous bromine phase is treated with ammonia gas, which may cause a secondary environmental pollution risk caused by ammonia.
Emergency teams must include several well-trained members, in order to treat the gaseous and liquid phases of the spill simultaneously. The treatment involves close proximity to, and contact with, the origin of the leak, which requires suited personal safety gear, such as special protection suits, protection masks and respiratory aid.
A need for straightforward response, allowing a prompt response in case of an emergency.
To allow a prompt response in case of an emergency ICL’s R&D developed an innovative new product. Since elemental bromine has high vapor pressure, a bromine leak demands a fast response time in order to contain the spill and prevent the contamination from further spreading.
The invention (patent pending) is a new method for treating emergency spill or leak of halogen (bromine or chlorine), comprising an aqueous solution of special chemicals.
BromoQuel™ causes the free bromine to become complex salt, minimizing Bromine spread with an end-product that can be easily collected.
BromoQuel™ can be applied to both liquid and/or gas phase bromine contamination by applying it directly onto the bromine source sought to be isolated. BromoQuel™ enables the rapid neutralization of the halogen and causes the free bromine to become complexed to a Bromine-containing salt. Complexed bromine does not present high vapor pressure and thus, is considered safely contained, and can be removed in a safe and efficient manner.
