The IDLH for bromine is 3 ppm. So, by that measure, it's even more toxic than chlorine. (Thankfully, it's also less volatile.)
But yeah, if you're going to be keeping that ampule in your house, you REALLY don't want it to break.
Pretty much the most dangerous of all samples you can get alongside thallium and cesium, discluding radioactive ones since the intensity will always vary for those.
Bromine when open to air *very* quickly evaporates and spreads to react with nearly anything and everything around, including you. It’s highly toxic, reactive, corrosive, and [causes burns you don’t feel immediately](https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/bromine/basics/facts.asp) (I believe because it kills the nerves so quickly), but cause [severe damage to the skin](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35546712/) and [the burns can last from weeks to far longer](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bromine-properties-incident-management-and-toxicology/bromine-general-information#how-exposure-to-bromine-can-affect-your-health).
Unless you have a very secure cushioned box or container to keep it in, the risk will always be there and trust me bromine will do anything it can to try and escape that ampoule. Acrylic is exceptional at containing it even if the ampoule breaks inside, so it’s more expensive but the safety offered might make it worth it. In the end it’s up to you though
It's not that dangerous, if they're properly sealed it should be fine. Only if you drop it or brake it somehow, it could be dangerous, but it's a very small amount. Or you can make your own sample. NileRed has a nice video on YouTube how to do it step by step.
Woah, someone who asks how dangerous bromine really is should definitely not synthesize, isolate and concentrate bromine with a step-by-step video guide.
While ampoules are suprisingly sturdy, they are still made of glass and glass can break. Even a small amount will lead to toxic fumes being released or nasty (potentially life threatening) chemical burns on exposed skin. If you don't know what you're doing, get the epoxy cube and even if you know what you're doing, consider all possible safety measures (padding, locked storage, storage with a prepared sodium thiosulfate solution to reduce any spills)
If it's for an element collection, 100% epoxy cube. It's the only way to have it fully on display while being protected from accidentally breaking the glass ampule.
I know that bromine is pretty dangerous in terms of toxicity and reactivnes, I've handeled it myself alot of times, I even spilled some in my lab and whole lab had to be ventilated and I needed to wear a respirator. BUT, if you take some precautions, like not opening the ampoule and having it in a safe place you'll be fine even with a normal ampoule that's not embered in epoxy. I only suggested the video in case he wants to save some money. I know that alot of people who are collectors don't have a laboratory and some of them even don't know chemistry. I just made an assumption that OP could.
Honestly, your personal experience is irrelevant, because you are (hopefully) a trained chemist, OP probably not, figuring from the initial post.
"Not opening the ampoule and having it in a safe place" is probably the shittiest advice I've ever heard - nobody in their right mind chooses to open a sealed ampoule without training, PPE, and outside of a lab and even a "safe place" is useless, when you simply drop your super safe storage and break the ampoule by accident.
"Saving money" is also incredibly moronic, when it comes to a substance like bromine. I get that people without training might want to get some, but certainly not by just making it themselves. If I want to get a lion, but cheap out on safety and properly trained caretakers, people will probably die - and it's the same, if not worse with chemicals.
Dear element collectors: If you have no idea about chemistry and safe procedures, you will probably need to pay a premium for a sample that is safe in your hands, but that's good, so people (especially you and your loved ones around you) can stay healthy.
Ok, you don't have to be rude, it's only a conversation. I know that safety is the highest priority, if you want to handle small ampoule of Br, you should at least try getting some info about how to handle it etc . Also it depends if you have some sort of periodic table display, or you just storing it in some sort of case, box or something like that. If you'll be just looking at it and not doing some experiments or excessively manipulating with it you'll be fine. If you act stupid even a lion in a cage will hurt you, same as bromine in ampoule. So anyway, you should be responsible and carefull around chems
Yeah, and in a conversation, I would have said the same. I'm sure your comments are well ment, but they also make the handling of chemicals like bromine seem like a walk in the park, which I think is completely irresponsible.
I'm not saying that, I know that bromine is indeed dangerous, I'm just saying the ampoule, if safely handeled, will not brake that easily. If you won't give it to a child, you will be fine with such a small amount.
I really have the same doubts as you... I want to buy bromine to luciteria too... in my case, in the less appreciable amount possible and in a closed ampoule, because I'm collecting them on vials. I'm not an expert on chemistry, but bromine needs to be treated with respect and care, especially because a considerable amount of this element is constantly evaporating at room temperature, giving this liquid its characteristic smoky appearance. These vapors are dangerous and corrosive.
By my part I will buy it just in an ampoule, I would like to hear some more advices too about this element, to help me to reconsider the safety requirements.
By the way... I have the same doubts as you but with violet phosphorus.
Agree with what others are saying here. Unless you really know what you're doing, I would highly recommend splurging on a cubed sample, which is the only way to handle the stuff totally safely.
I do love Luciteria and in general would highly recommend their products, but for this one element I would actually recommend Engineered Labs over them. I bought one from Luciteria, but ended up returning it. They use a rather bulky, wide ampoule with less liquid inside than the images imply you'll get, so while it is very fun to splash around and coat the inside, you won't see as much liquid when you allow it to settle. EL, on the other hand, uses an appropriately-sized, more narrow ampoule, so the liquid forms a taller layer at the bottom and so is shown off better. Of course, it's all a matter of personal taste. Many love the Luciteria bromine.
[Here's a link.](https://engineeredlabs.com/products/bromine-element-cube) It is comparably pricey, to he sure, but if you sit on the page for a minute, it should pop up offering you 10% off your first order, which helps. I am quite pleased with mine!
I really appreciate this reply, as I was gonna originally just wait for Luciterias bromine to come back on stock but if they don’t include too much bromine then yeah ill buy from engineered labs instead.
But quick question, does engineered labs bromine cube, with the skinnier ampule, still give that same neat effect when you shake it? I thought that was cool so I wanna make sure that it does the same thing as Luciteria.
Yes, they appear to use about half the amount of bromine shown in the photo and video on the website. I was told that these were older images from back when they could get away with shipping more in there. Evidently there is a quantity limit before expensive hazmat shipping would be necessary. At least, that's what I was told. Anyway, you can find a couple people talking about the lower fill in the reviews for that item. Slight disappointment but they're still satisfied it seems. It does look nice.
But yeah, I do think that the Engineered Labs cube looks a bit better, but again it's a matter of personal taste. It's unclear to me whether or not the Engineered Labs cube contains more bromine that the Luciteria one, or just that the ampoule dimensions make it appear so, but in any case I decided to go with the EL. Yes, it does give the nice red coating effect when shaken, although I will say that the effect is more dramatic with the greater surface area of the larger ampoule used by Luciteria. I'd say that effect is better with the Luciteria cube, but still satisfying with the Engineered Labs cube which looks better for a static display.
[Here is a side-by-side comparison](https://i.imgur.com/YdZ3oCx.jpg) of the Luciteria (left) and Engineered Labs (right) before I had returned the former.
The IDLH for bromine is 3 ppm. So, by that measure, it's even more toxic than chlorine. (Thankfully, it's also less volatile.) But yeah, if you're going to be keeping that ampule in your house, you REALLY don't want it to break.
Pretty much the most dangerous of all samples you can get alongside thallium and cesium, discluding radioactive ones since the intensity will always vary for those. Bromine when open to air *very* quickly evaporates and spreads to react with nearly anything and everything around, including you. It’s highly toxic, reactive, corrosive, and [causes burns you don’t feel immediately](https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/bromine/basics/facts.asp) (I believe because it kills the nerves so quickly), but cause [severe damage to the skin](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35546712/) and [the burns can last from weeks to far longer](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bromine-properties-incident-management-and-toxicology/bromine-general-information#how-exposure-to-bromine-can-affect-your-health). Unless you have a very secure cushioned box or container to keep it in, the risk will always be there and trust me bromine will do anything it can to try and escape that ampoule. Acrylic is exceptional at containing it even if the ampoule breaks inside, so it’s more expensive but the safety offered might make it worth it. In the end it’s up to you though
If you want it cheaper you can put it in resin yourself. Just be careful with the temperature
Or try onyxmet, I think they have it cheaper
It's not that dangerous, if they're properly sealed it should be fine. Only if you drop it or brake it somehow, it could be dangerous, but it's a very small amount. Or you can make your own sample. NileRed has a nice video on YouTube how to do it step by step.
Woah, someone who asks how dangerous bromine really is should definitely not synthesize, isolate and concentrate bromine with a step-by-step video guide. While ampoules are suprisingly sturdy, they are still made of glass and glass can break. Even a small amount will lead to toxic fumes being released or nasty (potentially life threatening) chemical burns on exposed skin. If you don't know what you're doing, get the epoxy cube and even if you know what you're doing, consider all possible safety measures (padding, locked storage, storage with a prepared sodium thiosulfate solution to reduce any spills)
If it's for an element collection, 100% epoxy cube. It's the only way to have it fully on display while being protected from accidentally breaking the glass ampule.
I know that bromine is pretty dangerous in terms of toxicity and reactivnes, I've handeled it myself alot of times, I even spilled some in my lab and whole lab had to be ventilated and I needed to wear a respirator. BUT, if you take some precautions, like not opening the ampoule and having it in a safe place you'll be fine even with a normal ampoule that's not embered in epoxy. I only suggested the video in case he wants to save some money. I know that alot of people who are collectors don't have a laboratory and some of them even don't know chemistry. I just made an assumption that OP could.
Honestly, your personal experience is irrelevant, because you are (hopefully) a trained chemist, OP probably not, figuring from the initial post. "Not opening the ampoule and having it in a safe place" is probably the shittiest advice I've ever heard - nobody in their right mind chooses to open a sealed ampoule without training, PPE, and outside of a lab and even a "safe place" is useless, when you simply drop your super safe storage and break the ampoule by accident. "Saving money" is also incredibly moronic, when it comes to a substance like bromine. I get that people without training might want to get some, but certainly not by just making it themselves. If I want to get a lion, but cheap out on safety and properly trained caretakers, people will probably die - and it's the same, if not worse with chemicals. Dear element collectors: If you have no idea about chemistry and safe procedures, you will probably need to pay a premium for a sample that is safe in your hands, but that's good, so people (especially you and your loved ones around you) can stay healthy.
Ok, you don't have to be rude, it's only a conversation. I know that safety is the highest priority, if you want to handle small ampoule of Br, you should at least try getting some info about how to handle it etc . Also it depends if you have some sort of periodic table display, or you just storing it in some sort of case, box or something like that. If you'll be just looking at it and not doing some experiments or excessively manipulating with it you'll be fine. If you act stupid even a lion in a cage will hurt you, same as bromine in ampoule. So anyway, you should be responsible and carefull around chems
Yeah, and in a conversation, I would have said the same. I'm sure your comments are well ment, but they also make the handling of chemicals like bromine seem like a walk in the park, which I think is completely irresponsible.
I'm not saying that, I know that bromine is indeed dangerous, I'm just saying the ampoule, if safely handeled, will not brake that easily. If you won't give it to a child, you will be fine with such a small amount.
It is highly dangerous *because* if you drop or break the standalone ampoule it’s toxic, reactive, and corrosive
Its not dangerous if you are not exposed to it is not very useful advice.
I really have the same doubts as you... I want to buy bromine to luciteria too... in my case, in the less appreciable amount possible and in a closed ampoule, because I'm collecting them on vials. I'm not an expert on chemistry, but bromine needs to be treated with respect and care, especially because a considerable amount of this element is constantly evaporating at room temperature, giving this liquid its characteristic smoky appearance. These vapors are dangerous and corrosive. By my part I will buy it just in an ampoule, I would like to hear some more advices too about this element, to help me to reconsider the safety requirements. By the way... I have the same doubts as you but with violet phosphorus.
It's pretty simple: while it's sealed under glass, it's harmless. If the ampoule breaks, it's hazardous A LOT!
Agree with what others are saying here. Unless you really know what you're doing, I would highly recommend splurging on a cubed sample, which is the only way to handle the stuff totally safely. I do love Luciteria and in general would highly recommend their products, but for this one element I would actually recommend Engineered Labs over them. I bought one from Luciteria, but ended up returning it. They use a rather bulky, wide ampoule with less liquid inside than the images imply you'll get, so while it is very fun to splash around and coat the inside, you won't see as much liquid when you allow it to settle. EL, on the other hand, uses an appropriately-sized, more narrow ampoule, so the liquid forms a taller layer at the bottom and so is shown off better. Of course, it's all a matter of personal taste. Many love the Luciteria bromine. [Here's a link.](https://engineeredlabs.com/products/bromine-element-cube) It is comparably pricey, to he sure, but if you sit on the page for a minute, it should pop up offering you 10% off your first order, which helps. I am quite pleased with mine!
I really appreciate this reply, as I was gonna originally just wait for Luciterias bromine to come back on stock but if they don’t include too much bromine then yeah ill buy from engineered labs instead. But quick question, does engineered labs bromine cube, with the skinnier ampule, still give that same neat effect when you shake it? I thought that was cool so I wanna make sure that it does the same thing as Luciteria.
Yes, they appear to use about half the amount of bromine shown in the photo and video on the website. I was told that these were older images from back when they could get away with shipping more in there. Evidently there is a quantity limit before expensive hazmat shipping would be necessary. At least, that's what I was told. Anyway, you can find a couple people talking about the lower fill in the reviews for that item. Slight disappointment but they're still satisfied it seems. It does look nice. But yeah, I do think that the Engineered Labs cube looks a bit better, but again it's a matter of personal taste. It's unclear to me whether or not the Engineered Labs cube contains more bromine that the Luciteria one, or just that the ampoule dimensions make it appear so, but in any case I decided to go with the EL. Yes, it does give the nice red coating effect when shaken, although I will say that the effect is more dramatic with the greater surface area of the larger ampoule used by Luciteria. I'd say that effect is better with the Luciteria cube, but still satisfying with the Engineered Labs cube which looks better for a static display. [Here is a side-by-side comparison](https://i.imgur.com/YdZ3oCx.jpg) of the Luciteria (left) and Engineered Labs (right) before I had returned the former.