Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Test for Bromine vapour.

quirkzunc - 21-9-2008 at 00:42

I am looking for a simple test for the presence of bromine vapor in the steam evolved from a boiling solution. I am thinking along the lines of a material that I can soak into some filter paper and get a color change in when its placed above the steam.

Picric-A - 21-9-2008 at 01:00

Well if you use normal PH paper bromine vapour should bleach it white...
what are you doing that evolves bromine and steam?

Bromine test

quirkzunc - 21-9-2008 at 01:44

A hydrolysis reaction (using sodium bromate) is performed on a platinum chloride solution that is contaminated with other platinum group metal chlorides(Hydrolysis being necessary to oxidize the contaminants and cause their hydroxides to be precipitated when the pH is raised to 7.5). After the hydroxides are removed it is necessary to drive away the bromine before the next step in the process by boiling the solution with Hydrochloric acid. This is why there is bromine in the steam (I forgot to mention that there would be HCl in there as well.

kaviaari - 21-9-2008 at 02:00

Soak a piece of paper in aq. solution of iodide ions. Potassium iodide works fine. When in contact with bromine the ions get oxidized to iodine. The paper turns from white to blueish brown.

Br2 + 2I- --> 2Br- + I2

[Edited on 21-9-2008 by kaviaari]

Klute - 21-9-2008 at 03:48

You could directly use commercial iodide-starch paper.

Even better, just trap the effluent with a wash bottle full of NaOH solution, it will capture the bromine (forming OBr-) and HCl.

unionised - 21-9-2008 at 05:49

IIRC the reaction of fluorescein with bromine to give eosin is pretty specific and reasonably sensitive. It changes from yellow to pink.