A Stabilized Bromine solution that offers:
• Improved Performance
• A Chlorine-free / Chloride-free system
• Very High Product Stability
• Minimal Equipment Investment
• Ease of operation
• A product specifically designed for the
disinfection of Cooling Towers and
Industrial Water Systems.
The demand for biofilm control is growing rapidly, and Oxidizing biocides are playing a
major role in combating this problem on a global scale.
• Industrial plant processes are increasing their productivity and in turn becoming very sensitive to biofilm formation. It is therefore imperative that they have the best bio-film control.
• E nvironmental laws are now more demanding than ever, and restrictions are increasing (e.g.
Legionella risk, Health issues).
• Energy- and water- saving strategies now require better bio-film control.
•O
xidizing biocides do not circum to any resistance phenomena that conventional biocides seem to
suffer; their residues (which are linked to their performance level) are very quickly formed and easy
to measure.
•O
xidizing biocides have therefore become a product of choice when selecting a biocide program for
any cooling system.
1.2. Features of Bromosol versus other technologies
Product
Bleach
NaBr + Bleach BCDMH
Other Stab. Br Bromosol
Oxide. content 10 to 15%
Same as
bleach
55%
6,07%
7,6%
Chlorine- and
Chloride-free
No
No
No
YES
Cost Efficiency Poor
at pH 7 and +
Good
Good
Very Good
Very Good
Stability
Poor
Poor
High
High
High
Equipment
investment
Low
Medium
Medium
Low
Low
Handling
Easy
Less Easy
Less Easy
Easy
Easy
Safety
rather safe
less safe
dust
rather safe
rather safe
No
Note: incorrect handling of any biocide can always lead to dangerous situations. Always handle
biocides with care.
1. Product Advantages
EFFICIENT, CL-FREE, LOW INVESTMENT COSTS, STABILITY, SIMPLICITY
1.1 Introduction on the bromine chemistry
The advantages of Bromine vs. Chlorine in water treatment microbial control applications, have been
known for many years.
The main benefit is that hypobromous acid is much more efficient than hypochlorous acid in neutral to
alkaline conditions. The more alkaline the system is, the more cost effective it becomes, as illustrated
in the graph below.
• T he second advantage is that the bromamines formed during the reaction of hypobromous acid with
the organic materials are excellent biocides in their own right. The bromamines degrade rapidly into
harmless residues; this however is not the case with chloramines. Bromine chemistry clearly provides
a cost-effective advantage without any environmentally adverse residues.
• S ince the 1990’s, several types of bromine systems have been developed in the market, competing
with the traditional Bleach/chlorine chemistry:
• NaBr (mixed with bleach, will generate hypobromous acid),
• BCDMH in tablet or granules dissolved in water, releases hypobromous and Hypochlorous acid
• Other Stabilized Bromine (stabilised all-in-one solution of NaBr + bleach).
Fig. 2: Biocide efficiency (in %) against bacteria at different concentrations (initial contamination:
1*107 CFU/ml)
Volatility
Bromosol has a very low volatility, ensuring that the active component will stay in the water for
much longer periods.
Efficiency comparison (tests on biofilm, pH 7,0)
Fig. 1: Comparison of different biocides efficacies against bacteria at concentrations of 1.0 and 2.5
ppm. All biocides concentrations units are given as ppm as Cl2.
Stability comparison (at different storage temperatures)
The graph demonstrates the exceptional stability of Bromosol during storage.
Stored at 40°C, NaOCl will lose 30% of its activity in 7 days; whereas Bromosol will only loose around
4% in 33 days.
The above results clearly highlights the advantages of using Bromosol instead of the mixture Nahypo+NaBr.
Compatibility with scale and corrosion inhibitors
Bromosol has been proven to have a much lower reversion of phosphonate-based scale inhibitors
than Bleach or Bromine.
Bromosol has little or no reactivity with corrosion inhibitors.
If you would like to achieve lower chloride levels
Cooling tower manufacturers usually recommend a maximum level of chlorides that should not be
exceeded in the recirculation water. The reason is that stress corrosion can be generated in some of
the construction materials in the tower. Stress corrosion will eventually destroy components of the
tower thereby substantially increasing maintenance costs. Using Bromosol will help to reduce the
amount of bleach required by a considerable amount, thus, getting the chloride concentration to the
right levels without much effort.
When the storage temperature of Na-hypochlorite is high (over 30°C) and the usage of Nahypo is low
In these situations, even if used on its own or in combination with NaBr, the Na-hypochlorite is going
to lose its activity rather quickly. You may have doubts about the efficiency of the program and visit
the plant more often to adjust the dosages to compensate the loss of the active ingredient. Using
Bromosol would make the application safer and easier, with less frequent visits to the installation to
carry out the task of adjusting the dosage.
2.1. Bromosol’s application
Bromosol is a stabilised bromine solution free of Cl (chloride- & chlorine-free). Its strong oxidizing
power works by destroying or disrupting bacteria’s membranes (generating holes and leaks in the
membrane); it also blocks their enzymatic activity.
Yeasts, Fungi and Algae are also controlled by Bromosol. If dosed correctly, there are no micro-organism
that can resist Bromosol. As it is easily degrades into non-toxic and non-harmful components, it does
not create any threat to the effluent plant or the environment.
Bromosol is a liquid formulation that is usually added to the circulation point of a water system.
The dosage ranges from 5 to 10 ppm (mg/L) , based on the volume of the system, and the dosing
strategy can be intermittent (1-3 times / day). Very difficult cases will need 10 to 50 Litres per 1,000
m3.
It is quite possible that higher doses are initially required, but once that the system is back under
control, Bromosol’s dosage rate can be optimized and managed accordingly.
Bromosol can be used on its own, or in combination with conventional Na-hypochlorite.
Nevertheless, the dosage of those conventional biocides can be significantly reduced, offering a
better environmental profile.
Example of typical dosing - when applied in combination with Na-hypochlorite (Cooling tower):
- On a daily basis, apply bleach for several hours (4-7 hours) in order to achieve 0,3 – 0,5 ppm of free
chlorine in circulation.
- Once per week (sometimes once in 2 weeks) apply 5-10 ppm Bromosol (mg/L in volume); this
amount is added in addition to the daily bleach usage and can be introduced in a 2-3 hour period
with a pump (or in slug dose, manually).
1.3. Some specific instances where Bromosol shows
great advantages
When bleach on its own is not able to maintain the required levels of free chlorine.
Bleach on its own is a very commonly used in cooling water systems. Quite often, and especially
during the summer months, bleach cannot reach the level of free chlorine required (0,5 – 1,5 ppm.
as free chlorine during a few hours/day). Whatever the reason is (higher demand / degassing during
the storage), the Bleach program needs to be supported and Bromosol is an excellent partner in this
instance. After adding a few doses of Bromosol, with the bleach program running under normal
conditions, you will very quickly be able to detect much higher concentrations of free chlorine in the
water. Once you have reached this stage, Bromosol will even allow you to reduce the dosage levels
of bleach, while still getting adequate chlorine levels. Although bleach is a relatively cheap product,
reducing the dosage of bleach has several advantages e.g. reduced corrosion, reduced alkalinity and
savings on pH control, lower conductivity etc’. ....
In low volume systems, the investment for 2 pumps and a mixing system (NaBr + Bleach)
is not cost effective.
For low chemical usage applications (vacuum pumps, small cooling towers) , you might favour a “oneproduct” system where only one pump is required to dose the biocide into your water system. In
addition, due to long storage times at the plant, Bleach will de-gas and loose some of its reactivity. You
may find that to overcome this, you will need to overdose with Bleach to be able to convert all the NaBr.
Bromosol offers the easy option of using only one product and just one pump; no need to adjust any
ratio between two products: the reactivity is ready to be harnessed – just pump and go ! .
Bromosol offers also a much higher stability than bleach.
Several useful benefits that you might want to consider...
If you already use stabilised bromine but are looking for a more advantageous product
Bromosol offers several advantages over other existing stabilised bromine solutions:
- It has a much higher activity ratio - this will have a significant impact on the product handling costs,
and you will be able to reduce supervision in the field related to product handling and spend more time
on value added duties.
- It is Cl-free (chlorine & chloride free) - Due to its unique patent-protected process, ICL is the only
manufacturer that, is able to provide a Cl-free stabilised bromine product.
If you would like to have more stable halogen measurements
Dissolution of BCDMH is very sensitive and can depend on the water temperature. Cl2-content of
Bleach varies with temperature and storage times (which will affect bleach only or a bleach + NaBr
system). As it is very stable, Bromosol provides a stable and constant active bromine ratio that helps
you stabilise your process, avoiding any ambient temperature (seasonal) related variations.
3. Production Sites And Contacts
3.1/ The production sites
ICL is the only manufacturer to provide a chlorine and chloride-free stabilised bromine solution. The
production technology is unique and patent-protected. Bromosol is manufactured at Terneuzen (The
Netherlands, Europe) or at Wei Hai (Shandong province, China).
3.2/ Contacts lists
For info please contact: Mr. Ron Guy, Phone +972 8 6297 525
E-Mail: ron@icl-ip.com
2.2. Bromosol’s properties
Specifications
Active ingredient
Concentration
A stabilised chlorine-free bromine solution
17.0 % (+/- 0.9) as Br2; 7,6% (+/- 0.4) as Cl2
Other properties
Appearance
Density
pH
Freezing point
Flammability
Incompatibility
acids.
Clear Yellow-Orange solution.
1400-1500 kg/m3
>12,5 (neat)
Starts to freeze below -15°C
Non-flammable
is a strong oxidizer and should not be stored near reducing agents or strong
Viscosity
12,5 cp @ 15°C (20,0 cp @ 3°C )
Solubility in water
Completely soluble in water, in all proportions
CompatibilityDuring normal use, concentrations of Bromosol solutions are compatible
with commonly used materials of construction in cooling systems. In its neat
form, Bromosol is compatible with polypropylene, high density polyethylene,
Teflon®, polyvinyl chloride and Viton®.
Storage Bromosol should be stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from fire
and reducing agents. Bromosol has a suggested storage limit of six months
and evolves nitrogen gas during storage.
2.3. Delivery
Bromosol is supplied in jerry cans of 20 kg, 200 kg drums and 1250 kg IBCs.
2.4/ Bromosol’s complementarity
In order to reach a higher efficiency, other biocides (like BCDMH : DBNPA bleach) can be added in
the process to complement the Bromosol system
BCDMH, DBNPA and bleach (in cooling tower systems) offer good synergy with Bromosol. In cases
of DBNPA applications, the levels of continuously dosing of halogens should not be too high (not
exceeding 2-3 ppm as free chlorine).