Bromine Recycling in the Chemical Industry – An Example of Circular Economy

Abstract

This paper discusses the application of the circular economy concept and industrial ecology approach in the context of industrial chemical sites. A real-life case study about the use of bromine as reactant for chemical synthesis and its recycling by Syngenta in Monthey is described in detail. With a recovery yield of 97% it represents a well-established example of closed loop recycling, one aspect of the circular economy. The process leads to significant safety and environmental risk reduction and economic savings in the order of several million CHF per year.

Eine Alkin‐verbrückte kovalent organische Gerüstverbindung mit interaktiven Bindungstaschen für das Einfangen von Brom

“…Daher ist die Entwicklung geeigneter Materialien für die Abscheidung, die Lagerung und den Transport solcher flüchtiger Bromverbindungen von größter Bedeutung. Systeme, die auf adsorptiver Aufnahme beruhen, haben einen Vorteil gegenüber den traditionellen, langwierigen industriellen Verfahren der Wasserdampfdestillation, [10] da sie weniger Energie verbrauchen und auch wesentlich einfacher zu handhaben sind. Die Fortschritte bei der Entwicklung poröser Materialien für die wirksame Aufnahme von Halogenen haben uns mehrere Prinzipien für die Gestaltung der Materialien und die zugrunde liegenden Mechanismen aufgezeigt, obgleich sich die meisten der umfangreichen Studien hauptsächlich mit Iod befassen [11,12,[13][14][15] Die Entwicklung von Materialien für die Aufnahme von Brom wird hauptsächlich durch die Oxidationsfähigkeit von Brom begrenzt, die wesentlich höher ist als die von Iod.…”

An Alkyne‐Bridged Covalent Organic Framework Featuring Interactive Pockets for Bromine Capture

“…Therefore, the development of suitable materials for the capture, storage, and transport of such volatile bromine species is of prime importance. Systems based on adsorptive capture have an advantage over the traditional tedious industrial processes of steam distillation [10] as they consume less energy and are also more convenient to use. The progress in the development of porous materials for the effective capture of halogens has guided us with several principles for the design of materials and underlying mechanisms, although most studies are mainly concerned with iodine [11–15] …”

Debromination with Bromine Recovery from Pyrolysis of Waste Printed Circuit Boards Offers Economic and Environmental Benefits

“…A major advantage of bromine reutilization is that it is more energy-efficient and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, compared with directly extracting bromine from seawater . The cost of recycling bromine from waste is only about 40% of that of extracting bromine from seawater . In addition, brominated WPCBs and resin powder obtained after crushing and separating both contain bromine, which is classified as a hazardous waste in China .…”

“…32 The cost of recycling bromine from waste is only about 40% of that of extracting bromine from seawater. 33 In addition, brominated WPCBs and resin powder obtained after crushing and separating both contain bromine, which is classified as a hazardous waste in China. 34 The disposal cost of hazardous wastes is around $500− 1000 per ton in China.…”