ABSTRACT
ETHYL BROMIDE Synonyms: AI3-04462; Bromic ether; Bromoethane; BRN 1209224; CCRIS 2504; EB; EINECS 200-825-8; Halon 2001; Hydrobromic ether; Monobromoethane; NCI-C55481; NSC 8824; UN 1891.
H3C Br CASRN: 74-96-4; DOT: 1891; DOT label: Poison; molecular formula: C2H5Br; FW: 108.97; RTECS: KH6475000; Merck Index: 12, 3819 Physical state, color, and odor: Clear, colorless to yellow, volatile liquid with an ether-like odor. Odor threshold concentration is 3.1 ppm (quoted, Amoore and Hautala, 1983). Melting point (°C): -119 (Windholz et al., 1983) Boiling point (°C): 38.4 (Weast, 1986) Density (g/cm3): 1.4604 at 20 °C (Weast, 1986) 1.4492 at 25 °C (Dreisbach, 1959) Diffusivity in water (x 10-5 cm2/sec): 1.05 at 20 °C using method of Hayduk and Laudie (1974) Flash point (°C): <-20 (NIOSH, 1997) Lower explosive limit (%): 6.8 (NFPA, 1984) Upper explosive limit (%): 8.0 (NFPA, 1984) Heat of fusion (kcal/mol): 1.4 (Dean, 1987) Henry’s law constant (x 10-3 atm⋅m3/mol): 7.56 at 25 °C (Hine and Mookerjee, 1975) Interfacial tension with water (dyn/cm at 25 °C): 31.20 (Harkins et al., 1920) 31.3 (Donahue and Bartell, 1952) Ionization potential (eV): 10.29 (Franklin et al., 1969) 10.46 (Gibson et al., 1977) Soil organic carbon/water partition coefficient, log Koc: 2.67 using method of Chiou et al. (1979)
ow 1.61 (Hansch et al., 1975) Solubility in organics: Miscible with alcohol, chloroform, and ether (Windholz et al., 1983) Solubility in water: 0.965 wt % at 10 °C (quoted, Windholz et al., 1983) 9,047 mg/L at 20 °C (Fischer and Ehrenberg, 1948) 9,603 mg/L at 17.5 °C (Fühner, 1924; Fischer and Ehrenberg, 1948) 1.47 x 10-3 at 25 °C (mole fraction, inert gas stripping-GC, Li et al., 1993) 9,140 mg/L at 20 °C, 8,960 mg/L at 30 °C (Rex, 1906) Vapor density: 4.05 g/L at 25 °C, 3.76 (air = 1) Vapor pressure (mmHg): 386 at 20 °C, 564 at 30 °C (Rex, 1906) Environmental fate: Biological. A strain of Acinetobacter sp. isolated from activated sludge degraded ethyl bromide to ethanol and bromide ions (Janssen et al., 1987). When Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus, Methanococcus deltae, and Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum were grown with H2-CO2 in the presence of ethyl bromide, methane and ethane were produced (Belay and Daniels, 1987). Groundwater. Groundwater under reducing conditions in the presence of hydrogen sulfide converted ethyl bromide to sulfur-containing products (Schwarzenbach et al., 1985). Chemical/Physical. Hydrolyzes in water forming ethanol and bromide ions. The estimated hydrolysis half-life at 25 °C and pH 7 is 30 d (Mabey and Mill, 1978). Exposure limits: NIOSH REL: IDLH 2,000 ppm; OSHA PEL: TWA 200 ppm (890 mg/m3); ACGIH TLV: TWA 5 ppm (adopted). Symptoms of exposure: Irritation of the respiratory system, eyes, pulmonary edema (Patnaik, 1992) Toxicity: Acute oral LD50 for rats 1,350 mg/kg (quoted, RTECS, 1985). Uses: In organic synthesis as an ethylating agent; refrigerant; solvent; grain and fruit fumigant; in medicine as an anesthetic.
