CHEMISTRY

BERYYLIUM

The element that was given to me to do this report on was beryllium which is written Be on the periodic table. Beryllium is a metal that occurs naturally in

bedrock in certain locations of Rhode Island. It is also used in making metal alloys. Beryllium is odorless, colorless and tasteless. It was discovered by French chemist Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin (1763-1829) in 1798. Vauquelin suggested the name glucinium, meaning "sweet tasting," for the element because the element and some of its compounds have a sweet taste. The world 'beryl' is of Greek origin and means 'to become pale'. The name was given to the metal once it was discovered that beryllium was an element contained in the mineral beryl. The name beryllium was adopted officially in 1957.

Some of the physical properties of beryllium are that it is a hard, brittle metal with a grayish-white surface. It is the least dense (lightest) metal that can be used in construction. Its melting point is 1,287C (2,349F) and its boiling point is estimated to be about 2,500C (4,500F). Its density is 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter. The metal has a high heat capacity (it can store heat) and heat conductivity (it can transfer heat efficiently). It is also beryllium is transparent to X rays. Some of its chemical affects include Beryllium reacts with acids and with water to form hydrogen gas. It reacts briefly with oxygen in the air to form beryllium oxide (BeO). The beryllium oxide forms a thin skin on the surface of the metal that prevents the metal from reacting further with oxygen.

Beryllium is used for the following:Probably the most important use of beryllium is in radiation windows for X-ray tubes. Beryllium is ideal for this use as it has a very low absorption of X-rays. Beryllium is used in the pipes of many high-energy particle physics collision experiments (such as the Large Hadron Collider). The stiffness of the metal allows a powerful vacuum to be created. Beryllium is used as a lightweight component of military equipment and in the aerospace industry. It is used in highspeed aircraft, missiles, space vehicles and communication satellites. It is one component of metal springs, non-sparking tools and electrical contacts. Naval personnel use beryllium tools when working on or near naval mines. It is non-magnetic and most naval mines detonate when they come into contact with something magnetic. Beryllium is used in the design of nuclear weapons. It is used as the outer layer of the pit in the primary stage. It is an excellent pusher for implosion and is very good at at reflecting neutrons. The low weight and high rigidity of beryllium makes it perfect for use in high-frequency speaker drivers. Beryllium oxide is an excellent heat conductor. Therefore, it is used as an insulator base plate in high-power transistors in RF transmitters for telecommunication purposes. Beryllium mirrors can be used in telescopes.

The abundance of beryllium varies by place. It is listed in the table below.

Beryllium is mined by a machine. Beryllium is mined by a machine. China BINQ Machinery Corp., Ltd. is specialist manufacturer of Beryllium Mining Machine. The method of purifying beryllium is treating the beryl ore with Hydrofluoric acid to remove the silicates and
cooking the BeF2/AlF2 mix. AlF2 will stew off. Bef2 will come off later and be reduced to BeO. Many methods can be used to make be metal from the BeO but BeO is used extensively in high temperature, high heat conducting ceramics so further refining is often not necessary.

The cost of beryllium is $530/100 grams, but beryllium is rarely used in this form.

Beryllium is an element that is found in nature as a brittle gray earth metal, steel-like in appearance, with an atomic number of 4. In nature, it can only be found in minerals in combination with other elements. It has a very low density and the second-lowest mass of any element, making it useful in many areas of modern science and technology. The structure of Beryllium is HCP (hexagonal close packed). Beryllium and its salts are both toxic and
carcinogenic. It has high thermal conductivity and is nonmagnetic. BeF2 was used in

the experimental reactor MSRE .

Sources

http://www.chemistryexplained.com/elements/A-C/Beryllium.html#ixzz26kB72qoG

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryllium

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_beryllium_used_for

http://www.webelements.com/beryllium/geology.html