Sodium bromate

Sodium bromate, the inorganic compound with the chemical formula of NaBrO3, is the sodium salt of bromic acid. It is a strong oxidant.

Uses
Sodium bromate is mainly used in continuous or batch dyeing processes involving sulfur or vat dyes and as a hair-permagent, chemical agent, or gold solvent in gold mines when used with sodium bromide.

Production
Sodium bromate can be produced from a solution of sodium carbonate and bromine using chlorine gas as the oxidising agent.
 * 6 Na2CO3 + Br2 + 5 Cl2 -> 2 NaBrO3 + 10 NaCl + 6 CO2

It may also be produced by the electrolytic oxidation of aqueous sodium bromide.

Human health issues
Bromate in drinking water is undesirable because it is a suspected human carcinogen. Its presence in Coca-Cola's Dasani bottled water forced a recall of that product in the UK.