Uses & Applications of Beryllium
- Communications. Beryllium is used in the manufacture of telecommunications infrastructure equipment, computers and cellular phones, thereby helping people around the world to keep in touch.
- Safety. ...
- Oil, Gas & Alternative Energy. ...
What are the everyday uses of beryllium?
Uses of Beryllium
- Probably the most important use of beryllium is in radiation windows for X-ray tubes. ...
- Beryllium is used in the pipes of many high-energy particle physics collision experiments (such as the Large Hadron Collider). ...
- Beryllium is used as a lightweight component of military equipment and in the aerospace industry. ...
What is beryllium use for the real world?
Beryllium is in wide use in the energy field to extract oil and gas, and has a big role in helping to find tomorrow’s clean and affordable energy sources. Transportation Beryllium alloys are used in automobile components and airplane equipment to ensure the reliable operation of vital equipment and to enhance fuel efficiency.
What are the hazards of beryllium?
[ 4] Symptoms of Chronic Beryllium disease include:
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Difficulty Breathing
- Weight Loss or Anorexia
- Enlargement of the Right Side of the Heart
- Heart Disease
What are the commercial uses for beryllium?
• Resistant to "rusting" and acids. Uses: Commercial • The greatest industrial use of beryllium is as a metal and alloy in nuclear power reactors, aerospace applications, electrical equipment, navigation and optical equipment and in missile fuel.
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What are 5 uses of beryllium?
Beryllium is alloyed with copper or nickel to make springs, gyroscopes, electrical contacts, spot-welding electrodes and non-sparking tools, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry. Other beryllium alloys are used in high-speed aircrafts and missiles, as well as spacecraft and communication satellites.
What was beryllium first used for?
Pure beryllium is first commercialized for use in medical x-ray windows, while beryllia ceramics found application insulating circuitry in radio tubes.
What items use beryllium?
Where is beryllium used?Aerospace (aircraft braking systems, engines, satellites, space telescope)Automotive (anti- lock brake systems, ignitions)Ceramic manufacturing (rocket covers, semiconductor chips)Defense (components for nuclear weapons, missile parts, guidance systems, optical systems)More items...
What are good things about beryllium?
Beryllium is used as an alloying agent in the production of beryllium-copper. Thanks to their electrical and thermal conductivity, high strenght and hardness, non magnetic properties, good resistance, dimensional stability over a wide temperature range beryllium-copper alloys are used in many applications.
What is beryllium found in?
1797Beryllium / Discovered
What does beryllium taste like?
Beryllium was once known as glucinum, which means sweet, since beryllium and many of its compounds have a sugary taste. Unfortunately for the chemists that discovered this particular property, beryllium and many of its compounds are poisonous and should never be tasted or ingested.
How is beryllium used in medicine?
Copper beryllium connectors transmit precise electrical signals to delicate surgical instruments and monitoring devices used in the newest, non-invasive surgical techniques. Such techniques reduce patient trauma and infection risk, while speeding the process of healing and recovery.
Is beryllium used in cars?
Beryllium alloys are used in automobile components and airplane equipment to ensure the reliable operation of vital equipment and to enhance fuel efficiency.
Is beryllium used in cell phones?
Battery contacts and electronic connectors in cell phones and portable electronics are made with copper beryllium alloys. The material meets stringent requirements for durability, weight savings, electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance in all extremes of weather and temperature.
Can you eat beryllium?
Swallowing beryllium has not been reported to cause effects in humans because very little beryllium can move from the stomach or intestines into the bloodstream. Ulcers have been seen in dogs ingesting soluble beryllium salts in the diet.
What are 5 facts about beryllium?
26 Beryllium Facts for KidsBeryllium is a chemical element on the periodic table.Beryllium is a lightweight and brittle hard metal.Beryllium has a white-gray metallic color in its pure form.The symbol for beryllium is Be.The atomic number for beryllium is 4.The standard atomic weight for beryllium is 9.012182 u.More items...
Is beryllium safe to touch?
* Beryllium Oxide is a CARCINOGEN--HANDLE WITH EXTREME CAUTION. * Contact can cause eye irritation, redness, itching and burning. * Beryllium Oxide can irritate and burn the skin. Higher exposure may cause skin ulcers to develop.
What is the history of beryllium?
Beryllium was discovered (1798) as the oxide by French chemist Nicolas-Louis Vauquelin in beryl and in emeralds and was isolated (1828) as the metal independently by German chemist Friedrich Wöhler and French chemist Antoine A.B. Bussy by the reduction of its chloride with potassium.
Why beryllium is toxic?
Most likely, once in the body, beryllium combines with certain proteins, causing the release of toxic substances. These are responsible for the lesions seen in the lungs. Certain cells form masses of tissue called granulomas in response to beryllium.
Why is beryllium so expensive?
High-purity beryllium is expensive owing to its properties such as high stiffness, lightweight, and high elastic modulus.
Where was the element beryllium first discovered?
Louis Nicolas VauquelinBeryllium / DiscovererProf Louis Nicolas Vauquelin FRS HFRSE was a French pharmacist and chemist. He was the discoverer of both chromium and beryllium. Wikipedia
Why is beryllium important?
Because of its unmatched combination of qualities, beryllium has become an increasing ly important material for a wide range of commercial and governmental applications.
What materials have been used in space exploration?
From heat shields that protected NASA’s Mercury astronauts, to the orbital telescopes of tomorrow, beryllium materials have had a front seat in our nation’s extraordinary exploration of space.
What is the beryllium oxide used for?
In nuclear reactors, beryllium metal and beryllium oxide are used to control fission reactions. Beryllium has also been used in the trigger mechanisms for nuclear weapons. Bertrandite Nodule: Much of the bertrandite found at Spor Mountain, Utah is contained in nodules composed of fluorite, opal and bertrandite.
Where Does Beryllium Come From?
All the beryllium currently being mined in the United States comes from the mineral bertrandite.
How does beryllium get into bertrandite?
First, a magma that is rich in fluorine, beryllium, and silica must erupt in an area where there are carbonate rocks ( limestone or dolomite ). If heat from the magma warms the groundwater in the area and causes the water to move through the surrounding rocks, the water picks up elements , including beryllium, from those rocks; the water may then react with suitable igneous or sedimentary rocks to crystallize minerals, including bertrandite.
Where is beryl found?
The mineral beryl is the main source of beryllium mined outside the United States. Beryl is most often found in veins or pegmatites, which are rocks that contain the last minerals to crystallize from a large igneous intrusion. Pegmatites are distinguished by large interlocking crystals that often include unusual elements and minerals.
When was beryllium first discovered?
The oxide form of beryllium was identified in 1797, and scientists first isolated metallic beryllium in 1828. Beryllium and some beryllium compounds are toxic and must be handled carefully.
Is beryllium a strategic metal?
Beryllium is one of the lightest and stiffest metals, but there was little industrial demand for it until the 1930s and 1940s when the aerospace, defense, and nuclear sectors began using beryllium and its compounds. Beryllium is now classified by the U.S. Department of Defense as a strategic ...
Is beryllium metal stiff?
Beryllium metal is very light and very stiff. On a weight-to-weight basis, beryllium is six times stiffer than steel, and it maintains its shape at high and low temperatures. Beryllium metal is used in the aerospace and defense industries to make lightweight precision instruments. The mirrors of the Spitzer Space Telescope and ...
What are the uses of beryllium?
Due to its low density and atomic mass, beryllium is relatively transparent in x-rays and ionizing radiation, making it a key component in the construction of x-ray windows. Other medical uses of beryllium include in: 1 Pacemakers 2 CAT scanners 3 MRI machines 4 Laser scalpels 5 Springs and membranes for surgical instruments (beryllium iron and beryllium nickel alloys)
What industries use beryllium?
Oil, Gas and Automobile Sector Uses. Industrial applications that incorporate beryllium alloys are concentrated in the oil and gas sector, where beryllium is valued as a high strength, temperature resistant, non-sparking metal, as well as in the automotive industry. The use of beryllium alloys in automobiles has continued to grow over ...
How many areas of Beryllium are there?
Beryllium applications can be categorized into five areas:
What is the application of beryllium oxide?
Finally, one application that may direct future demand for beryllium is in nuclear power generation. Recent research has shown that adding beryllium oxide to uranium oxide pellets can produce more efficient and safer nuclear fuel. Beryllium oxide works to cool the fuel pellet, which allows it to operate at lower temperatures, giving it a longer life.
What is beryllium alloy?
In such applications, beryllium is most often alloyed with copper ( copper-beryllium alloys) and can be found in cable and high-definition televisions, electrical contacts, and connectors in cell phones and computers, computer chip heat sinks, underwater fiber optic cables, sockets, thermostats, and bellows.
Why is beryllium used in aerospace?
Beryllium is widely used in the aerospace sector as an alloying agent in structural metals because of its high thermal stability, thermal conductivity, and low density. One example, which dates back to the 1960s, was beryllium's use in constructing shingles to protect capsules used during the Gemini space exploration program.
What are the applications of metals in the military?
The metal's aerospace applications often overlap with many of the military applications, such as those found in launching systems and satellite technologies, as well as aircraft landing gears and brakes.
What is the symbol for beryllium?
A naturally occurring element, Beryllium is the fourth element on the Periodic Table with the symbol "Be".
What are the three forms of beryllium?
Forms of Beryllium. The three primary forms of beryllium produced are beryllium-containing alloys, pure beryllium metal and beryllia ceramics , also known as beryllium oxide ceramic.
When was beryllium discovered?
Though beryllium was discovered in the late 18th century, its unique properties and commercial value were not recognized until the 1920s.
Which countries process beryllium?
Only the United States, China and Kazakhstan process commercial quantities of beryllium from ore into pure beryllium metal or other beryllium-containing materials.
What is lightweight metal used for?
The unique properties of this lightweight metal make it a critical enabler of modern technologies extensively used throughout aerospace, defense, telecommunications and computer, energy exploration, medical diagnostic and other advanced applications.
What is beryllium used for?
Beryllium is fabricated into gyroscopes, accelerometers, and computer parts for inertial guidance instruments and other devices for missiles, aircraft, and space vehicles, and it is used for heavy-duty brake drums and similar applications in which a good heat sink is important.
Where does beryllium come from?
Beryllium is widely distributed in Earth ’s crust and is estimated to occur in Earth’s igneous rocks to the extent of 0.0002 percent. Its cosmic abundance is 20 on the scale in which silicon, the standard, is 1,000,000.
What are the minerals that contain beryllium?
There are about 30 recognized minerals containing beryllium, including beryl (Al 2 Be 3 Si 6 O 18 , a beryllium aluminum silicate), bertrandite (Be 4 Si 2 O 7 (OH) 2 , a beryllium silicate), phenakite (Be 2 SiO 4 ), and chrysoberyl (BeAl 2 O 4 ). (The precious forms of beryl, emerald and aquamarine, have a composition closely approaching that given above, but industrial ores contain less beryllium; most beryl is obtained as a by-product of other mining operations, with the larger crystals being picked out by hand.) Beryl and bertrandite have been found in sufficient quantities to constitute commercial ores from which beryllium hydroxide or beryllium oxide is industrially produced. The extraction of beryllium is complicated by the fact that beryllium is a minor constituent in most ores (5 percent by mass even in pure beryl, less than 1 percent by mass in bertrandite) and is tightly bound to oxygen. Treatment with acids, roasting with complex fluorides, and liquid-liquid extraction have all been employed to concentrate beryllium in the form of its hydroxide. The hydroxide is converted to fluoride via ammonium beryllium fluoride and then heated with magnesium to form elemental beryllium. Alternatively, the hydroxide can be heated to form the oxide, which in turn can be treated with carbon and chlorine to form beryllium chloride; electrolysis of the molten chloride is then used to produce the metal. The element is purified by vacuum melting.
Where is beryl found?
Beryllium is found in beryl and emerald, minerals that were known to the ancient Egyptians. Although it had long been suspected that the two minerals were similar, chemical confirmation of this did not occur until the late 18th century. Emerald is now known to be a green variety of beryl.
Is beryllium a stable metal?
Beryllium is the only stable light metal with a relatively high melting point. Although it is readily attacked by alkalies and nonoxidizing acids, beryllium rapidly forms an adherent oxide surface film that protects the metal from further air oxidation under normal conditions.
Does beryllium reduce sparking?
Beryllium itself does not reduce sparking, but it strengthens the copper (by a factor of 6), which does not form sparks upon impact. Small amounts of beryllium added to oxidizable metals generate protecting surface films, reducing inflammability in magnesium and tarnishing in silver alloys.
Is beryllium toxic?
Both the finely divided metal and soluble compounds in the form of solutions, dry dust, or fumes are toxic; they may produce dermatitis or, when inhaled, a hypersensitivity to beryllium.
What is beryllium used for?
Uses. Beryllium is used in alloys with copper or nickel to make gyroscopes, springs, electrical contacts, spot-welding electrodes and non-sparking tools. Mixing beryllium with these metals increases their electrical and thermal conductivity.
Why is glaucinium called beryllium?
In February 1798 Vauquelin announced his discovery at the French Academy and named the element glaucinium (Greek glykys = sweet) because its compounds tasted sweet. Others preferred the name beryllium, based on the gemstone, and this is now the official name.
What is the most important metal?
The most important are beryl (beryllium aluminium silicate) and bertrandite (beryllium silicate). Emerald and aquamarine are precious forms of beryl. The metal is usually prepared by reducing beryllium fluoride with magnesium metal. Help text not available for this section currently.
What is the name of the element that was discovered in 1798?
In February 1798 Vauquelin announced his discovery at the French Academy and named the element glaucinium (Greek glykys = sweet) because its compounds tasted sweet. Others preferred the name beryllium, based on the gemstone, and this is now the official name.
Which metal is used to generate neutrons?
The combination of radium and beryllium is still used to generate neutrons for research purposes, although a million alpha-particles only manage to produce 30 neutrons. Beryllium is a silvery-white, lustrous, relatively soft metal of group 2 of the periodic table.
Is beryllium foil a reflector?
Beryllium is relatively transparent to X-rays so ultra-thin beryllium foil is finding use in X-ray lithography. Beryllium is also used in nuclear reactors as a reflector or moderator of neutrons. The oxide has a very high melting point making it useful in nuclear work as well as having ceramic applications.
Who is the artist behind the images that make up the visual elements?
Murray Robertson is the artist behind the images which make up Visual Elements. This is where the artist explains his interpretation of the element and the science behind the picture.
What is beryllium oxide?
Beryllium oxide (called beryllia) is known for its high heat capacity and is an important component of certain sensitive electronic equipment. Beryllium alloys are classified into two types: high beryllium content (up to 30% beryllium) and low beryllium content (2 - 3% beryllium). Copper-beryllium alloy is commonly used to make bushings, bearings, ...
How does beryllium affect the body?
Workers in industries where beryllium is present may be exposed to beryllium by inhaling or contacting beryllium in the air or on surfaces. Inhaling or contacting beryllium can cause an immune response that results in an individual becoming sensitized to beryllium. Individuals with beryllium sensitization are at risk for developing a debilitating disease of the lungs called chronic beryllium disease (CBD) if they inhale airborne beryllium after becoming sensitized. Beryllium-exposed workers may also develop other adverse health effects such as acute beryllium disease, and lung cancer. See the Health Effects section in the preamble of the Beryllium Final Rule for more information.
What is the difference between beryl and bertrandite?
Bertrandite (<1% beryllium) is the principal mineral mined for beryllium in the U.S. while beryl (4% beryllium) is the principal mineral mined for beryllium in the rest of the world. Beryllium is used industrially in three forms: as a pure metal, as beryllium oxide, and most commonly, as an alloy with copper, aluminum, magnesium, or nickel.
What is the amount of beryllium in a blast?
Certain types of abrasive materials used in abrasive blasting operations may contain trace amounts of beryllium (<0.1% by weight), as may the surfaces being blasted. Due to the high dust conditions inherent in abrasive blasting operations, workers involved in these activities may be exposed to beryllium above its action level, in some cases.
What is the OSHA publication for beryllium?
NEW Beryllium: Guidance on Medical Surveillance for Beryllium Exposed Workers. OSHA Publication 4116, (May 2021).
How many workers are exposed to beryllium?
Who is exposed to beryllium in the workplace? OSHA estimates that approximately 62,000 workers are potentially exposed to beryllium in approximately 7,300 establishments in the United States, including approximately 12,000 workers the construction and shipyard industries.
What is the OSHA number for beryllium?
To report an emergency, file a complaint with OSHA or ask a safety and health question, call 1-800-321-6742 (OSHA).
What is beryllium used for?
Beryllium is also added to aluminum, nickel, zinc, and zirconium for some applications. Beryllium-nickel alloys are used in automobile air bags. A relatively new beryllium-aluminum alloy (the registered trademark is "Beralcast") is being used in fighter planes, helicopters, and missile systems.
What are the materials in beryllium?
OTHER BERYLLIUM MATERIALS INCLUDE SOLUBLE SALTS, ALLOYS, AND OXIDE. Soluble salts, such as beryllium fluoride, chloride, and sulfate, are used in nuclear reactors, in glass manufacture, and as catalysts for certain chemical reactions.
How is beryllium emitted into the air?
From these sources, beryllium is emitted into the air and water by natural processes like erosion and by the burning of coal and oil. According to data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average concentration of airborne beryllium in the U.S. is very small (0.03 nanogram/cubic meter—a nanogram is one-billionth of a gram).
What are alloys used for?
Be alloys are used for: Springs, switches, relays, and connectors in automobiles, computers, radar and telecommunications equipment, and other instruments. High-strength non-sparking tools including some tools sold for use in the home. Molds or casts to make metal, glass, and plastic items.
What are instrument grade materials used for?
Both structural and instrument grade materials are manufactured, especially for use in aerospace and defense: Windshield frames and other structures in high-speed aircraft and space vehicles. Aircraft and space shuttle brakes. Satellite mirrors and space telescopes. Inertial guidance systems and gyroscopes.
When was beryllium discovered?
Beryllium was discovered in 1798, but it was not widely used in industry until the 1940s and 1950s. In industrial applications beryllium can be: used as pure metal. mixed with other metals to form alloys. processed to salts that dissolve in water. processed to form oxides and ceramic materials.
Where is beryl mined?
In a very pure crystalline form, beryl is known to us as gems such as blue-green aquamarine and green emerald. Bertrandite is mined in Utah , but other ores and scrap are imported into the U.S., which is the world’s leading producer, processor, and consumer of beryllium products.
The Uses of Beryllium in The Aerospace Industry
The Uses of Beryllium in The Weapon System
- Beryllium has the properties of lightweight and high rigidity and can be used in inertial navigation systems for missiles and submarines that require precise navigation.
The Uses of Beryllium in The Nuclear Industry
- Beryllium is used as a shielding material in the core of some nuclear fission reactors to improve the efficiency of fission reactions. People are also experimenting with beryllium as the lining of thermonuclear fusion reaction vessels. From the viewpoint of reducing nuclear pollution, it is superior to graphite.
The Uses of Beryllium in The Sound Reinforcement System
- In a sound amplification system, the faster the speed of sound, the higher the resonant frequency of the amplifier, the greater the range of sound that can be heard in the high range. And the speed of sound propagation of beryllium is faster than other metals, so beryllium can be used as a vibrator for high-quality loudspeakers.
The Uses of Beryllium in The Alloys
- Beryllium Copper Alloy
A series of beryllium copper alloyscan be formed by dissolving about 2% of beryllium in copper, and its strength is about twice that of other copper alloys. Beryllium copper alloy has excellent processing technology performance, non-magnetic, does not produce sparks when impacted, an…
Beryllium Nickel Alloy
- Nickel beryllium alloys, such as NiBeTi, and NiBeMg, have ultra-high strength and elasticity, and high electrical conductivity. Compared with beryllium copper alloys, their working temperature can be increased by 250 ~ 300 ℃, and they have relatively high heat resistance and corrosion resistance. Beryllium nickel alloy can be used to make important elastic components that work …
The Uses of Beryllium in The Beryllium Oxide
- Beryllium oxide is a white ceramic material that looks very similar to alumina, is an excellent electrical insulator, but has unique thermal conductivity. And it is suitable for use as an endothermic insulating material in electronic devices. Besides, one of the new uses of beryllium oxideis applied in certain lasers, especially argon lasers, to meet the increased power requireme…
Conclusion
- In short, beryllium has excellent performance and plays an important role in the high-tech field and improving the performance and quality of many products. The uses of berylliumshould be given special attention. Thank you for reading our article and we hope you’ve enjoyed it. If you want to know more about beryllium, you can visit Advanced Refractory Metals (ARM) for more informati…
Safety
Applications
- Beryllium-copper alloys account for approximately 80 percent of the beryllium used in the United States. These alloys are strong, hard, and nonmagnetic; they are good conductors of electricity and heat, and they resist corrosion and fatigue. Beryllium alloys are used in making connectors, springs, switches, and other components of electronic and el...
Components
- The mirrors of the Spitzer Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is scheduled for launch in 2021, are made of beryllium. The primary mirror of the JWST contains 18 hexagonal segments (each segment is 4.3 feet in diameter) that must maintain their exact shape even at temperatures of -400 degrees Fahrenheit and must be light enough to be carried i…
Resources
- Two minerals, bertrandite and beryl, are mined for beryllium, and both are found in association with igneous rocks. All the beryllium currently being mined in the United States comes from the mineral bertrandite. The United States is the world's leading source of beryllium. A single mine at Spor Mountain, Utah, produced more than 85 percent of the beryllium mined worldwide in 2010. …
Formation
- A complex series of events must take place to concentrate beryllium into bertrandite. First, a magma that is rich in fluorine, beryllium, and silica must erupt in an area where there are carbonate rocks (limestone or dolomite). If heat from the magma warms the groundwater in the area and causes the water to move through the surrounding rocks, the water picks up elements, …
Properties
- Pure beryl crystals are colorless, but the inclusion of other elements in beryl creates colorful, valuable gemstones. The green color in emerald is due to traces of chromium and sometimes vanadium in the beryl crystal lattice. The pale blue to blue-green color of aquamarine is caused by iron atoms with an oxidation state of +2 (Fe2+); other elements in beryl crystals produce colors t…
Industry
- Three countries-China, Kazakhstan, and the United States-process beryllium ore. In 2005, the U.S. Department of Defense began a partnership with a private-sector company to build a new processing facility in Ohio to produce high-purity beryllium metal. The processing facility was completed in 2011, and up to two-thirds of its output was to be allocated for defense and other …
Production
- The United States imported approximately 34 percent of the beryllium raw materials it used in 2011, including beryllium metal and other processed beryllium materials used in manufacturing; two-thirds of this material came from Russia and Kazakhstan.
Uses
- Beryllium that is recycled from scrap left over from the manufacture of beryllium-bearing products may provide approximately 10 percent of U.S. apparent consumption. Apparent consumption is a measure of the amount of a material that is actually used, calculated as production + imports - exports ± changes in Government or industry stocks.
Research
- To help predict where future beryllium supplies might be located, USGS scientists study how and where beryllium resources are concentrated in Earth's crust and use that knowledge to assess the likelihood that undiscovered beryllium resources may exist. Techniques to assess mineral resources have been developed by the USGS to support the stewardship of Federal lands and to …
Consumer Electronics and Telecommunications Uses
Oil, Gas and Automobile Sector Uses
- Industrial applications that incorporate beryllium alloys are concentrated in the oil and gas sector, where beryllium is valued as a high strength, temperature resistant, non-sparking metal, as well as in the automotive industry. The use of beryllium alloys in automobiles has continued to grow over the past few decades. Such alloys can now be found in braking and power steering systems an…
Military Applications
- Beryllium has been classified as a strategic and critical metal by agencies in both the US and European governments due to its importance to a range of military and defense applications. Related uses include, but are not limited to: 1. Nuclear weaponry 2. Lightweight alloys in fighter jets, helicopters, and satellites 3. Missile gyroscopes and gimbals 4. Sensors in satellites and op…
Medical Uses
- Due to its low density and atomic mass, beryllium is relatively transparent in x-rays and ionizing radiation, making it a key component in the construction of x-ray windows. Other medical uses of beryllium include in: 1. Pacemakers 2. CAT scanners 3. MRI machines 4. Laser scalpels 5. Springs and membranes for surgical instruments (beryllium iron an...
Nuclear Power Uses
- Finally, one application that may direct future demand for beryllium is in nuclear power generation. Recent research has shown that adding beryllium oxide to uranium oxide pellets can produce more efficient and safer nuclear fuel. Beryllium oxide works to cool the fuel pellet, which allows it to operate at lower temperatures, giving it a longer life.