Lithium bromide

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Lithium bromide

Lithium bromide, or LiBr, is a chemical compound

Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a Chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical element Chemical bond together in a fixed mass ratio that can be split into simpler substances....
of lithium

Lithium

Lithium is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft alkali metal with a silver-white color. Under standard conditions for temperature and pressure, it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element....
and bromine

Bromine

Bromine , , meaning "stench " ), is a chemical element with the symbol Br and atomic number 35. A halogen element, bromine is a reddish-brown Volatility liquid at Standard conditions for temperature and pressure that is intermediate in reactivity between chlorine and iodine....
. Its extreme hygroscopic character makes LiBr useful as a desiccant

Desiccant

A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains a state of dryness in its local vicinity in a moderately-well sealed container.Commonly encountered pre-packaged desiccants are solids, and work through absorption or adsorption of water, or a combination of the two....
in certain air conditioning systems.

is prepared by treatment of lithium carbonate with hydrobromic acid

Hydrobromic acid

Hydrobromic acid is a strong acid acid formed by dissolving the diatomic molecule hydrogen bromide in water. It has a Acid dissociation constant of −9, making it a stronger acid than hydrochloric acid, but not as strong as hydrogen iodide....
. The salt forms several crystalline hydrates

Water of crystallization

Water of crystallization is water that occurs in crystals but is not covalent bond to a host molecule or ion. The term is archaic and predates modern structural inorganic chemistry, coming from an era when the relationships between stoichiometry and structure were poorly understood....
, unlike the other alkali metal bromides. The anhydrous salt forms cubic crystals similar to common salt

Sodium chloride

Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with the chemical formula SodiumChlorine....

ium bromide is used in air-conditioning systems as desiccant

Desiccation

Desiccation is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately-well sealed container....
.

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Production and properties

LiBr is prepared by treatment of lithium carbonate with hydrobromic acid

Hydrobromic acid

Water of crystallization

Sodium chloride

Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with the chemical formula SodiumChlorine....

Uses

Lithium bromide is used in air-conditioning systems as desiccant

Desiccation

Organic synthesis

Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the construction of organic compounds via organic reactions. Organic_chemistry molecules can often contain a higher level of complexity compared to purely Inorganic_chemistry compounds, so the synthesis of organic compounds has developed into one of the most im...
. For example it reversibly forms adducts with some pharmaceuticals.

Medical applications

Lithium bromide was used as a sedative

Sedative

A sedative is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement.At higher doses it may result in slurred speech, staggering gait , poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes....
beginning in the early 1900s, but it fell into disfavor in the 1940s when some heart patients died after using it as a salt substitute. Like lithium carbonate

Lithium carbonate

Lithium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula Li2CO3. This colorless salt is widely used in the processing of metal oxide and has received attention for its use in psychiatry....
and lithium chloride

Lithium chloride

Lithium chloride is a chemical compound with the chemical formula LithiumChlorine. The salt is a typical ionic compound, although the small size of the Li+ ion gives rise to properties not seen for other alkali metal chlorides, such as extraordinary solubility in polar solvents and its hygroscopic properties....
it was used as treatment for bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a Classification of mental disorders that describes a category of mood disorders, or mood swings, defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood clinically referred to as mania or, if milder, hypomania....
.

Hazards

Lithium salts are psychoactive and somewhat corrosive. Dosages for lithium carbonate are ca. 200 mg/day.

Lithium bromide

Production and properties

Uses

Medical applications

Hazards

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