Process to manufacture stabilized alkali or alkaline earth metal hypobromite and uses thereof in water treatment to control microbial fouling

A stabilized aqueous solution of an alkali or alkaline earth metal hypobromite which is prepared by the steps of:

• a. Mixing an aqueous solution of alkali or alkaline earth metal hypochlorite having from about 5 percent to about 70 by weight percent available halogen as chlorine with a water soluble bromide ion source;
• b. Allowing the bromide ion source and the alkali or alkaline earth metal hypochlorite to react to form a 0.5 to 70 percent by weight aqueous solution of unstabilized alkali or alkaline earth metal hypobromite;
• c. Adding to the unstabilized solution of alkali or alkaline earth metal hypobromite a stabilizer selected from the group consisting of carbonic acids, hydrogen cyanide, carboxylic acids, amino acids, sulfuric acids, phosphoric acids and boric acids;
• and,
• d. Recovering a stabilized aqueous alkali or alkaline earth metal hypobromite solution.