Bromine storage

Zinc—bromine storage batteries (qv) are under development as load-leveling devices in electric utilities (64). Photovoltaic batteries have been made of selenium or boron doped with bromine. Graphite fibers and certain polymers can be made electrically conductive by being doped with bromine. Bromine is used in quartz—haUde light bulbs. Bromine is used to etch aluminum, copper, and semi-conductors. Bromine and its salts are known to recover gold and other precious metals from their ores. Bromine can be used to desulfurize fine coal (see Coal conversion processes). Table 5 shows estimates of the primary uses of bromine. 

Previously studied possibilities for bromine storage systems are listed in Table 1. The widely known reduction of the Br2 vapor pressure by formation of adducts with various carbon materials results from strong chemisorption interactions and has Table 1. General possibilities for bromine storage... 

The two basic requirements for efficient bromine storage in zinc-bromine batteries, which need to be met in order to ensure low self-discharge and more over a substantial reduction of equilibrium vapor pressure of Br2 of the polybromide phase in association with low solubillity of active bromine in the aqueous phase. As mentioned by Schnittke [4] the use of aromatic /V-substitucnts for battery applications is highly problematic due to their tendency to undergo bromination. Based on Bajpai s... 

It should be kept in mind that not only are quaternary ammonium salts useful as complexing agents for bromine storage, but... 

Safety risks and the environmental impact are of major importance for the practical success of bromine storage system. The nonaqueous polybromide complexes in general show excellent physical properties, such as good ionic conductivity (0.1-0.05 Qcirf1), oxidation stability (depending on the nature of the ammonium ion), and a low bromine vapor pressure. The concentration of active bromine in the aqueous solution is reduced by formation of the complex phase up to 0.01-0.05 mol/L, hence ensuring a decisive decrease of selfdischarge. 

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