Bromine the United States and Israel. The element is liberated by halogen exchange, using chlorine gas to oxidise Br to Br. This is then removed with a blast of steam or air, and is then condensed and purified. Today, bromine is transported in large-capacity metal drums or lead-lined tanks that can hold hundreds of kilograms or even tonnes of bromine. The bromine industry is about one-hundredth the size of the chlorine industry. Laboratory production is unnecessary because bromine is commercially available and has a long shelf life. A wide variety of organobromine compounds are used in industry. Some are prepared from
Bromine pentafluoride an excess of fluorine: For the preparation of smaller amounts, potassium bromide is used: This route yields bromine pentafluoride almost completely free of trifluorides and other impurities. Bromine pentafluoride reacts violently with water, but when moderated by dilution with acetonitrile, it will form bromic acid and hydrofluoric acid, simple hydrolysis products: It is an extremely effective fluorinating agent, converting most uranium compounds to the hexafluoride at room temperature. Bromine pentafluoride is severely corrosive to the skin, and its vapors are irritating to the eyes, skin, and mucous membranes. Exposure to 100 ppm for a few minutes is lethal to most