- Beryllium is a hard,
grayish metal that occurs naturally as a component of certain rocks,
soil, coal and oil, and volcanic dust. Beryllium minerals have been
known since ancient times as the gemstones emerald, aquamarine, and
beryl. Compounds of beryllium are either white or colorless and do not
have a particular smell. Because it is an element, beryllium does not
degrade nor can it be destroyed.
- Beryllium is a very
light, strong metal with a high melting point of 1,280oC, which is
resistant to acids and has a high thermal conductivity. These properties
make it useful in a number of applications as a metal, as part of an
alloy or as a ceramic. However, high processing costs restrict the use
of beryllium to applications where there are no practical alternatives,
or where performance is critical.
- At its mining site in
Delta, Utah, Brush Wellman treats bertrandite ore using a
counter-current extraction process to produce beryllium sulfate, BeSO4.
A second route, using the Kjellgren-Sawyer process, treats the beryl ore
and provides the same beryllium sulfate intermediate. The intermediates
from the two ore extraction processes are combined and fed to another
extraction process. This extraction process removes impurities
solubilized during the processing of the bertrandite and beryl ores and
converts the beryllium sulfate to beryllium hydroxide, Be(OH)2. The
beryllium hydroxide is either sold, or sent off-site to either be
converted to beryllium fluoride, BeF2, which is then catalytically
reduced to form metallic beryllium, converted to Beryllium oxide, or
converted to beryllium alloys.
- Beryllium metal has low
ductility, so the beryllium fabrication process implies powder
metallurgical techniques. Beryllium ingots are mechanically ground to
powder of 56-30m in size. Powder is used for Beryllium compacts and
construction materials. Isostatic pressing and vacuum hot pressing or
cold press and sinter methods are used to consolidate Beryllium powder
into beryllium metal products.
- Beryllia is produced by
thermal decomposition of beryllium hydroxide. Then oxide is sintered,
ground and dissolved in acid solution for purification. Then using
traditional ceramic technology (dry or semidry pressing, slip casting)
specific items are moulded and sintered. Beryllia products may be
metallized by overlay of different configuration.
- Beryllium is
particularly well suited for use as a structural material in space
technology as it is the lightest structural metal known. Because of its
combination of low weight, high stiffness and certain mechanical
properties, such as a precise elastic limit, and transparency to
x-rays
and other high-energy electromagnetic radiation, beryllium is
an excellent material for use in optical components and precision
instruments.
- Beryllium has physical
and chemical properties, such as its stiffness, high resistance to
corrosion from acids, and high thermal conductivity, that make it useful
for various applications in its alloy, metallic, and oxide forms.
Beryllium-copper alloys average about 70 percent of annual U.S.
consumption on a beryllium metal equivalent basis. The alloys, most of
which contain approximately 2 percent beryllium, are used in a wide
variety of applications but mainly in electrical and electronic
components, aerospace, and defense.
- The United States is
the world's largest producer of beryllium-containing ores and
concentrates (bertrandite). Most of the beryllium- containing ores and
concentrates (beryl) produced outside the United States are from
Kazakhstan and Russia.
- Yearend American Metal
Market published prices for selected beryllium products were as follows:
99 percent beryllium metal powder, $492 per pound; beryllium
vacu-um-cast ingot, $421 per pound; beryllium-aluminum alloy, $260 per
pound; beryllium-copper master alloy, $160 per pound of contained
beryllium; beryllium oxide, $100 per pound; and beryllium-copper strip,
$8.90 per pound. The Metal Bulletin published price for beryl ore ranged
from $75 to $80 per short ton unit of contained BeO.
- The recycling or reuse
of beryllium-bearing old scrap is minimal. The recycling efficiency
would have been higher if not for the lack of a concerted program to
reuse beryllium from its major end use, beryllium-related electrical and
electronic components manufactured from beryllium-copper alloys.
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General Information
- Human Health Fact
Sheet
- Beryllium
Overview
- Beryllium
- The Story of
Beryllium
- Aluminum & Lead in
Seawater
- Beryllium
Network
- World beryllium ore
production
Processing
- The extraction of
Beryllium and aluminium from aqueous sulphate solutions
- Beryllium determination
by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission
spectrometry
- Beryllium
Manufacturing
Processes
- Beryllium
Processing
Company
Profiles
- ABC Metals, Inc
- American Beryllia
Corporation
- Brush Engineered
Materials
- NGK
Berylco
- Ningbo Beryllium
Metal Co Ltd
Consultants
- Intota
- SBM
- Dydek
- EngNet
- Beryllium Consultant
Network
- Peter W. Harben
Inc
- J.E.I.
Metallurgical, Inc
Applications
- Cleaning Copper
Beryllium
- Copper Beryllium Finger
Strips
- Beryllium
- Beryllium-copper
alloys
- Clinical Application of
Beryllium Lymphocyte Proliferation Testing
- Beryllium Chalcogenide
Alloys for Visible light emitting and Laser diodes
- Beryllium (CAS No.
7440-41-7) and Beryllium Compounds
- X-Ray detector windows
Clock gears Sparkless Tools
- High Heat Flux
Applications
- Using Beryllium and
Polypropylene-Aluminium Absorbers to Measure the TBR-1 Tokamak Electron
Temperature
Production
- Beryllium Production In
2002
- Beryllium Production in
2004
- Beryllium Production in
2005
- Beryllium Production in
2006
- Domestic survey data
and tables and the world production table for the year 2003
- Domestic survey data
and tables and the world production table for the year 2004
- Domestic survey data
and tables and the world production table for the year 2005
Products
- Antenna Contacts
- Battery Contacts
- Beryllium Beam
Pipes
- Beryllium Copper
- Brazing Copper
Beryllium
- Burn-in & Test
Sockets
- EMI Shielding
- Memory Card
Connectors
- Modular Jacks
- Power Connectors
- Processor
Sockets
- SIM Card
Connectors
- Beryllium Window
Products
- Diffusion Bonded
Beryllium X-Ray Window Assembly Specification IS-50M
- Synchrotron
Products
Projects
- Rocky Flats Beryllium
Health Surveillance Program
- JET ITER-like Wall
Project
- Beryllium Alloy Exposures in Military
Aerospace Applications
- Safe Methods for
Radioactive Beryllium Waste Decontamination
- Sampling Methods for
Removable
Beryllium Surface Contamination
- A Novel Biomarker for
Beryllium Sensitization in Humans
- A Novel Biomarker for
Beryllium Sensitization in Humans
- Ceramic Technology for
Beryllium Oxide
Technology
- Beryllium
- Spectrolaser
1000HR
- Technology for
Real-Time Measurement of Surface and Airborne Beryllium
- Chemical Science and
Technology Laboratory National Institute of Standards and
Technology
- Materials and process
technology
- New and Emerging
Technology for Real Time Air and Surface Beryllium Monitoring
- Occupational Medicine
Surveillance in the Beryllium industry
Plant
- Kazatomprom Beryllium
Plant
- Ohio production plant
- Ottawa County selected
for beryllium plant
- Ulba Metallurgical
Plant
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Material Safety Data
Sheet
- Beryllium Solid
- Copper Beryllium
Wrought Alloy
- Radioactive Material
Safety Data Sheet
- Beryllium metal in
massive form
- Beryllium Boride
- Gold Beryllium
- Safety data for
beryllium
- Beryllium
Patent
- Beryllium Floating
Process
- High tungsten,
silicon-aluminum dental alloy
- Hydrometallurgical
process for the production of beryllium
- Porous Beryllium
- Texture less Forging of
Beryllium
- High Thermal
Conductivity Substrate
- Method for welding
beryllium
Properties &
Functions
- Chemical and Physical
Information
- General Properties of
Beryllium
- The Radiochemistry of
Beryllium
- The Corrosion /
Electrochemistry of Beryllium and Beryllium Weldments in Aqueous
Chloride Environments
- The Histochemical
Detection of Beryllium
- Electronic properties
of small neutral and charged beryllium clusters
- Properties of Beryllium
Loaded Plastic Films
- Growth and Properties
of Beryllium Hexaluminate Crystals
- Magnetic Properties of
Copper Beryllium
- Properties List of
Beryllium
- Thermodynamic
Properties of Magnesium Oxide and Beryllium Oxide from 298 to 1,200
°K'
- Beryllium’s Unique
Properties
- Two-electron properties
for the beryllium atom
Grades
- ITER Technical
Basis
- Technical
Memorandum
- Yearend Average
Beryllium Metal Price
- Manual for Procedures
and Kit Description For Determination of Beryllium Particulates
-
- Cuinmet Typical
Analysis
- Beryllium Compounds
Grades
Suppliers
- Beryllium
Suppliers
- Belmont Metals
Inc
- Beryllium Copper
Suppliers
- Suppliers of
Beryllium
- Noah
technologies
- American
Elements
- Noah Tecnologies for
Beryllium Sulfate
- Beryllium Chemical
Suppliers
- Noah Tecnologies for
metal
- Alfa Aesar Johnson
Matthey GmbH & Co KG
- Noah Technologies for
Beryllium Oxalate
- Spectrum Chemicals for
Berylium Oxide
- Texas for Beryllium
Nitrate
- Nicro Alloys
Company Pvt Ltd
- Fox Chemicals
Buyers
- Beryllium Copper
India
- Indian Importers & Buyers
- Vijay Commercial
House
Safety &
Hazards
- SLAC Chronic Beryllium
Disease Prevention Program
- Beryllium
Research
- Toxological Profile for
Beryllium
- Safety and Health
Topics
- Healthy Drinking waters
for Rhode Islanders
- Division of Toxicology
ToxFAQsTM
- Methods for the
Determination of
Hazardous Substances
Markets
- U.S Geological Survey
in 2006
- U.S Geological Survey
in 2005
- Brush Engineered
Materials Inc.
- National Security
Assessment of the
U.S. Beryllium Industry
- World Supply and
Production
- Argonne National
laboratory
Report
- US Clean Air Act Amend.
1990
- DataChem
- Determination of
Metallic Beryllium and Beryllium Carbide in Beryllium Metal
- Experimental
Investigation of Beryllium Mobility
- Beryllium Recycling in
the United States in 2000
- Office of
Strategic Planning Analysi
- Beryllium Report
- Beryllium Health and
Safety Committee
- Report on Beryllium and
Beryllium
Compounds
- Report on Screening for
Beryllium Sensitization and Disease
- Former Florida Plant
Workers Report
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