Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Bromide salt prices

chloric1 - 20-5-2023 at 06:55

I was in a Menard’s buying a garden sprayer and some storage jars. Walked toward pool chemicals after leaving garden center and decided to browse for shits and giggles before I check out. Lo and behold I saw the “Bromine Base” 3 pound jar and it was….$50!!! Fifty fucking dollars for technical 99% sodium bromide! Now I new this stuff was NEVER cheap like sodium carbonate or hydroxide but still the $50 price tag shocked me. I went online and saw similar prices and ACS grade is of course about 2 or 3 time that rate! Who wants to compare notes about how inflation affects your hobby?

SyntheticFunk - 20-5-2023 at 22:47

Yes it is unfortunately similarly expensive where I live as well in Canada. It's also recently been "pseudo"-banned (I may be incorrect on its exact status), essentially deemed by the government as too dangerous for use in most consumer products. One can still find it, but it is much less common now unfortunately.

What price would you buy a bromide salt for?

Parakeet - 21-5-2023 at 01:10

I’m thinking of buying 500g of potassium bromide for about $16. No pool supply stores around here, and online stores sell KBr for photography and this seems to be the only source. However this is expensive, and some stores sell 500g of KBr for $35.
So 3 pounds of NaBr for $50 is not so bad ...at least from my perspective...

How much does everyone usually pay for bromide salts?

woelen - 21-5-2023 at 10:34

S3 chemicals: 1 kg of 99.5% KBr is 20 euros.

NaBr has more bromine in it per kg of solid. Laboratoriumdiscounter.nl has 1 kg NaBr for almost 50 euros, but 2.5 kg is 85 euros, so price drops strongly with increased amount. KBr is more expensive at that place.They also sell HBr for a fair price, but if you go for maximum amount of bromine per euro, then S3 definitely has the best offer.

Fery - 21-5-2023 at 10:49

KBr 1 kg 150 CZK = 6 EUR (auction portal)
https://aukro.cz/bromid-draselny-1-kg-7037786009

Keras - 21-5-2023 at 23:02

Quote: Originally posted by woelen  
S3 chemicals: 1 kg of 99.5% KBr is 20 euros.


I never ordered anything from S3. How is their service? They seem to be overly sensitive on identity proofs, which is fair.

Tot ziens!

Fery - 22-5-2023 at 01:59

I ordered from S3 more than 5 times and I highly recommend them. The delivery was always in 4 weeks (neighboring country), perfectly packed, large orders divided into 2 parcels rather than sent in one. Excellent communication by email. I had to sign some documents about 3 times for compounds like persulfate, propiophenone etc., which was completed in usually less than 1 working day. When ordered liquids in 2,5 or 5 L package (better price) they sent in 1+1+0,5 or 5x1 L (smaller glass flasks seem to be safer and stronger than bigger ones). German precision. Yes I also remember they asked for a copy of both sides of ID card to verify the person who orders, age and also the delivery address (second side of ID card).
They sell also some interesting glass devices which are good as a gift like Galileo Galilei thermometer, radiometer.
https://shop.es-drei.de/laborbedarf/laborzubehoer/13600/ther...
https://shop.es-drei.de/laborbedarf/laborglas/13371/radiomet...

SplendidAcylation - 22-5-2023 at 02:26

If bromides increase in price any more, it'll be back to the paraldehyde and chloral hydrate for me!

Keras - 22-5-2023 at 03:38

Quote: Originally posted by Fery  
I ordered from S3 more than 5 times and I highly recommend them. The delivery was always in 4 weeks […]


4 weeks? Yikes!

They appear to have relatively few items besides chemicals. But OK, I accept their chemical section is fairly solid :)

Thanks a bunch. I mean, diékwe (however you spell it :))

Fery - 22-5-2023 at 08:39

Yes 4 weeks but I usually order more than 10 substances and more than 20 kg together. If you order KBr it could be in stock and sent to you much sooner :-)

woelen - 22-5-2023 at 09:47

I agree with Fery. S3 has good service. I have ordered a few times from them. I indeed had to send a copy of my passport, but they accepted a copy, with big font "S3 chemicals specimen" on it, and my BSN (personal social number of the Netherlands) blanked out. They just want to verify the person who orders the chemicals. I only had to send the copy of the passport once, in subsequent orders, they recognize you and processing of the order is done without any hassle.

Keras - 22-5-2023 at 21:14

Quote: Originally posted by woelen  
I agree with Fery. S3 has good service. I have ordered a few times from them. I indeed had to send a copy of my passport, but they accepted a copy, with big font "S3 chemicals specimen" on it, and my BSN (personal social number of the Netherlands) blanked out. They just want to verify the person who orders the chemicals. I only had to send the copy of the passport once, in subsequent orders, they recognize you and processing of the order is done without any hassle.


Ok. Dank U veel davoor.

I don’t really need any chemicals at the time (I’ve got plenty I should do something with), but in case… I suppose you can write to them in English, despite all their website being in German?

Dank U veel opnieuw. Tot ziens!

Fery - 23-5-2023 at 19:58

Yes my answers by emails were always in English. Documents to sign were in German but it was easy to translate them using free internet translation engines.

Keras - 24-5-2023 at 00:53

Quote: Originally posted by Fery  
Yes my answers by emails were always in English. Documents to sign were in German but it was easy to translate them using free internet translation engines.


Thanks :)

woelen - 24-5-2023 at 01:26

Yes, S3 is easy to deal with. Communication is in English.

They have different shop categories of chemicals. Category 0 chemicals can be purchased and shipped without any paper work at all. Category 1 chemicals can be purchased and shipped, but require a one-time verification of the person who orders them. Category 2 chemicals can be purchased and shipped, but they require also a declaration of use for each individual purchase, besides the one-time verification of the person who orders them. Category 3 chemicals are not sold to private users. Category 4 chemicals are specialties and no fixed rules are applied to them. Just mail them if you want to order a category 4 chemical, and then at that moment they decide whether they are willing to sell it to you, or not, and if so, under what conditions.

[Edited on 24-5-23 by woelen]

Ubya - 24-5-2023 at 03:24

I think I'm pretty lucky. After trying to buy sodium bromide online (too expensive or too high shipping costs), I found a random herb store that also sold some chemicals. 1kg of sodium bromide for 16 euros, just 4km from where I live. I'm now good friend of the owners, so in theory I could get it for even less

Keras - 24-5-2023 at 03:31

Quote: Originally posted by Ubya  
I'm now good friend of the owners, so in theory I could get it for even less


That’s what's nice in Italy. People are ofter super friendly.
(Almeno, diciamo, come regole generale).

Enjoy!
PS: Thanks Woelen for all the info.