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World elemental bromine capacity in 2005 totaled more than 680 thousand metric
tons, with production estimated at 587 thousand metric tons. Most of this capacity
belongs to only three companies—Albemarle Corporation and Chemtura Inc.,
both in the United States, and ICL-IP (Dead Sea Bromine) in Israel. These three
companies also accounted for the majority of world bromine production and trade
in bromine derivative chemicals.
Globally, bromine is used primarily for the production of brominated flame
retardants, drilling fluids and water treatment chemicals. Consumption of bromine
for brominated flame retardants accounted for 45–50% of all bromine consumed
globally. Bromides, which are used extensively in clear brine fluids for deepwater
and workover drilling wells, are the second-largest application at an estimated
25%, and water treatment consumes 10%. Other brominated chemicals consume another
15–20% of bromine for such end uses as specialty elastomers, dyes, photographic
chemicals and intermediates in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and many
other specialty chemicals, usually of small volume. Direct use of elemental
bromine is minor.
Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is the largest-volume brominated flame retardant
in production in the world today. It is produced in the United States, Israel,
Jordan, Japan, the Netherlands and China. It is used as a reactive chemical
that becomes part of the polymer chain in epoxy resins, ABS, and polycarbonates,
and in the manufacture of epoxy and carbonate oligomers, which in turn are
used to produce additive flame retardants. Around 57% of the global production
of TBBPA is used as a reactive flame retardant, 25% as an additive flame retardant,
8% in the manufacture of derivatives, and 10% as additives for other polymers
such as ABS in combination with high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) and other thermoplastic
polymers.
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