Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Producing Tribromides

LRM - 11-10-2020 at 09:49

I made a post awhile back about the ammonium bromide route for producing rare earth bromides but after looking at those processes more and more I am really hoping there is an easier approach that I am overlooking.

Working from the oxides in the ammonium bromide route is an option but to run that on the scale I think I might need will take a very long time. My end goal is to grow nice single crystals for making scintillation detectors.

What are some of the most efficient ways to produce Lanthanum tribromide and Cerium tribromide?

Lion850 - 11-10-2020 at 12:50

If I wanted to make cerium bromide using what I have available I would first make cerium sulphate (dissolving cerium oxide in hot concentrated sulphuric acid) and then do a double displacement reaction between cerium sulphate and calcium bromide solutions. The calcium sulphate will ppt out and you have a solution of cerium bromide.

LRM - 13-10-2020 at 09:06

That might actually be an easier option for producing the CeBr3 than converting CeO2 into Ce2O3 with a tube furnace and hydrogen. Hopefully the losses during drying the CeBr3 does not cause any problems...

Wonder how bad of an idea just reacting the metals with bromine would be?