Topic 11.

2
The chemical reactions of the
Bromine from halogens
seawater
Aims & 14 28

↑
...
: .

The aim of this activity is to extend your knowledge of the production of one of the halogens, 0 07
.

bromine. In the course of studying bromine production, you will also be practicing mass 14 Water contain
.

29g
calculations and writing equations, and showing that you understand the trend in oxidising bromide ions
ability of the halogens. Ig
14 24 I

S
:
.

Bromine production at Amlwch XO a x 109

The majority of the ‘salt’ in seawater is sodium chloride. However, there are other salts : Itonne
present, including some bromides. The mass of bromide ions in seawater may be low at
14, 90tonnes
−3
0.07 g dm of water, but this is a high enough concentration to make extracting bromine from
seawater economically viable. Bromine is produced in the UK at Amlwch in Anglesey,
Wales.
1 Calculate the mass in tonnes of ocean water that contains 1 tonne of bromide ions. (Assume
3
that 1 dm of ocean water has a mass of 1 kg.) 14 240 tonnes
2 At Amlwch approximately 22 000 tonnes of ocean water are used to produce 1 tonne of
-

bromine. Using your answer from question 1, calculate the percentage yield of this
process.
1,000 65 0% /38
·

>
-
.

At the production plant in Amlwch, seawater is first pumped from the Irish Sea through a
large pipeline. It is acidified with sulfuric acid at this stage to prevent the bromine that is
going to be produced from it, and chlorine used in its production, from reacting with water.
(This reaction only occurs at higher pH, hence adding sulfuric acid prevents it.)
+ H20 HBr + HBrO
3 Write a balanced equation to show the reaction of bromine with water. Bre >
-

4 Write a balanced equation to show the reaction of chlorine with water.

(k + H20 >
-

H + HLO

Chlorine is then injected into the acidified seawater. It displaces the bromide ions by a redox
reaction.
-

5 Write an ionic equation for this reaction. C12 + 230 > 2CH + Bry
-

all aqueous
6 Write half equations for the redox reactions occurring in this stage of the process.
7 Is chlorine acting as an oxidising agent or a reducing agent? Explain your answer. ↳ C2 + Le > 24
-

Oxidising agent ; it accepts elections from bromide inn) 2Br

- Bret Ze
The treated seawater then passes into a ‘blowing-out tower’. A strong current of air passes up
the tower as the water is sprinkled over the packing. Bromine is volatile, so the air removes
most of the bromine and some chlorine from the water. However, at this point, the bromine
concentration is still too low for effective separation of liquid bromine.
The concentration of bromine in the mixture must be increased before the bromine can be
extracted. The element is first reduced to hydrobromic acid by injecting sulfur dioxide gas
into the blowing-out tower. The reaction also produces sulfuric acid.
8 Write an equation for this reaction. Brz(ag) + SU2(g) + H20(1) > 2HBr(ca) -
+H2SO4(ag
Injecting fresh water into the blowing-out tower produces a fine mist of acids, which are
condensed in the absorber section of the tower. The acid mixture at the end of this stage
contains about 13% by mass of bromine as hydrobromic acid.
This acid is passed into the ‘steaming-out tower’. Here, chlorine is again used, this time to
regenerate bromine from the hydrobromic acid. This is then distilled out of the tower with
steam.
9 Write an equation for this reaction.

2HBr(ag) + ((2(g) >

-

Br2(a) + 2H(((ag)
The hot vapour mixture is condensed to form an aqueous layer and a lower layer of bromine.
These are separated and the resulting damp bromine dried with concentrated sulfuric acid and
the spent seawater is returned to the Irish Sea.
10 Bromine is not the only chemical product to be produced at Amlwch. Suggest three other
products made at the same chemical plant.

AQA Chemistry AS Level © Nelson Thornes Ltd 2008 2