Bromochlorodifluoromethane
Bromochlorodifluoromethane (BCF), also referred to by the code numbers Halon 1211 and Freon 12B1, is a haloalkane with the chemical formula CF2ClBr. It is used for fire suppression, especially for expensive equipment or items that could be damaged by the residue from other types of extinguishers. It is stored as a liquid under pressure and vaporizes when discharged to suppress fires.
The use of halons, including Halon 1211, has decreased over time due to their adverse impact on the ozone layer. Alternatives have been developed to mitigate environmental concerns while still providing effective fire suppression capabilities.
A portable aviation Halon 1211 fire extinguisher, USA, 2015.
Bromine is a chemical element; it has symbol Br and atomic number 35. It is a volatile red-brown liquid at room temperature that evaporates readily to form a similarly coloured vapour. Its properties are intermediate between those of chlorine and iodine. Isolated independently by two chemists, Carl Jacob Löwig and Antoine Jérôme Balard, its name was derived from the Ancient Greek βρῶμος (bromos) meaning "stench", referring to its sharp and pungent smell.
Liquid and gas bromine inside transparent cube
Antoine Balard, one of the discoverers of bromine
View of salt evaporation pans on the Dead Sea, where Jordan (right) and Israel (left) produce salt and bromine
Baltimore's Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower, originally part of the headquarters of Emerson Drug Company, which made Bromo-Seltzer