DEMONSTRATION OF THE PREPARATION OF BROMINE FROM BITTERN W. B. SANFORD Painted Post High School, PaintedPost, New York
D
URING our study of the halogens, one boy became particularly interested in the method used to prepare bromine from "bittern" (the mother liquor of the salt industry). He wished to duplicate the method in the laboratory. The photo shows the arrangement of the apparatus. The mother liquor (magnesium bromide) was stored in the separatory funnel. A regular current of chlorine mixed with steam was led into the bottom of the tower filled with broken glass, and met a descending stream of hot bittern. Bromine together with some chlorine passed out of the tower and was condensed in a water-cooled condenser. As the bromine contained a large amount of chlorine
THEAPPARATUS, AND BOYWrro I~EYISED THE EXPERIMENT
it was necessary to purify it. This was done by shaking with ferrous bromide and redistilling. A very good yield of bromine was obtained.
