Beilstein Test

Standards
Any halogenated compound as a positive standard, such as, 1-Bromobutane, and any non-halogenated compound, such as 1-Butanol, as a negative standard.

Procedure
Heat the tip of a copper wire in a burner flame until there is no further coloration of the flame. Let the wire cool slightly, then dip it into the unknown (solid or liquid" and again, heat it in the flame. A green flash is indicative of chlorine, bromine, and iodine; fluorine is not detected because copper fluoride is not volatile. The Beilstein test is very sensitive, thus halogen-containing impurities may give misleading results.

Positive Test
A green flash is indicative of chlorine, bromine, and iodine, but NOT fluorine.