4 lithium ← beryllium → boron - ↑ Be ↓ Mg Periodic table - Extended periodic table
General
Name, symbol, number	beryllium, Be, 4
Chemical series	alkaline earth metals
Group, period, block	2, 2, s
Appearance	white-gray metallic
Standard atomic weight	9.012182(3) g·mol−1
Electron configuration	1s2 2s2
Electrons per shell	2, 2
Physical properties
Phase	solid
Density (near r.t.)	1. Lithium (ˈlɪθiəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Li and Atomic number 3 Boron (ˈbɔərɒn is a Chemical element with Atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. Magnesium (mægˈniːziəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Mg, Atomic number 12 Atomic weight 24 This is a typical display of the periodic table of the elements and contains the symbol and Atomic number of each element Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of Chemical elements, sorted by name Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of chemical elements by symbol, including the A table of Chemical elements ordered by Atomic number and color coded according to type of element In Chemistry a group, also known as a family, is a vertical column in the Periodic table of the Chemical elements There are 18 groups in Biological occurrences Beryllium's low aqueous solubility means it is rarely available to biological systems it has no known role in living organisms and when encountered In Chemistry a group, also known as a family, is a vertical column in the Periodic table of the Chemical elements There are 18 groups in In the Periodic table of the elements, a period is a horizontal row of the table A block of the Periodic table of elements is a set of adjacent groups The respective highest-energy electrons in each element in a block belong to the same Atomic Biological occurrences Beryllium's low aqueous solubility means it is rarely available to biological systems it has no known role in living organisms and when encountered A period 2 element is one of the Chemical elements in the second row (or period) of the periodic table of the chemical elements. See also Electron configuration The atomic mass (ma is the Mass of an atom most often expressed in unified atomic mass units The atomic mass may be considered to be the total mass To help compare different orders of magnitude, the following list describes various Mass levels between 10&minus36&thinsp kg and 1053&thinspkg Molar mass, symbol M, is the Mass of one mole of a substance ( Chemical element or Chemical compound) In Atomic physics and Quantum chemistry, electron configuration is the arrangement of Electrons in an Atom, Molecule, or other The electron is a fundamental Subatomic particle that was identified and assigned the negative charge in 1897 by J An electron shell may be crudely thought of as an Orbit followed by Electrons around an Atom nucleus. In the Physical sciences a phase is a Set of states of a macroscopic physical system that have relatively uniform chemical composition and physical properties A solid' object is in the States of matter characterized by resistance to Deformation and changes of Volume. The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different Room temperature (also referred to as ambient temperature) is a common term to denote a certain Temperature within enclosed space at which humans are accustomed 85 g·cm−3
Liquid density at m.p.	1. Kilogram per cubic metre is the SI measure of Density and is represented as kg/m³ where kg stands for Kilogram and m³ stands for Cubic metre The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different The melting point of a solid is the temperature range at which it changes state from solid to Liquid. 690 g·cm−3
Melting point	1560 K (1287 °C, 2349 °F)
Boiling point	2742 K (2469 °C, 4476 °F)
Heat of fusion	7. The melting point of a solid is the temperature range at which it changes state from solid to Liquid. The kelvin (symbol K) is a unit increment of Temperature and is one of the seven SI base units The Kelvin scale is a thermodynamic The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which the Vapor pressure of the liquid equals the environmental pressure surrounding the liquid The kelvin (symbol K) is a unit increment of Temperature and is one of the seven SI base units The Kelvin scale is a thermodynamic The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The standard Enthalpy of fusion (symbol \Delta{}H_{fus} also known as the heat of fusion or specific melting heat, is the amount of 895 kJ·mol−1
Heat of vaporization	297 kJ·mol−1
Specific heat capacity	(25 °C) 16. The joule per mole (symbol J·mol-1 is an SI derived unit of energy per amount of material The enthalpy of vaporization, (symbol \Delta{}_{v}H also known as the heat of vaporization or heat of evaporation, is the Energy required The joule per mole (symbol J·mol-1 is an SI derived unit of energy per amount of material Specific heat capacity, also known simply as specific heat, is the measure of the heat energy required to increase the Temperature of a unit quantity 443 J·mol−1·K−1
Vapor pressure P/Pa 1 10 100 1 k 10 k 100 k at T/K 1462 1608 1791 2023 2327 2742
Atomic properties
Crystal structure	hexagonal
Oxidation states	2, 1[1] (amphoteric oxide)
Electronegativity	1. Vapor pressure (also known as equilibrium vapor pressure or saturation vapor pressure) is the Pressure of a Vapor in equilibrium In Mineralogy and Crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of Atoms in a Crystal. The oxidation number of a central atom in a coordination compound is the charge that it would have if all the Ligands were removed along with the Electron pairs " Electronegativity " is the opposite of " Electropositivity," which describes an element's ability to donate electrons 57 (Pauling scale)
Ionization energies (more)	1st: 899. The ionization potential, ionization energy or EI of an Atom or Molecule is the Energy required to remove an Electron These tables list the Ionization energy in kJ/mol necessary to remove one mole of Electrons from one mole of neutral gaseous Atoms (first energy respectively 5 kJ·mol−1
	2nd: 1757. The joule per mole (symbol J·mol-1 is an SI derived unit of energy per amount of material 1 kJ·mol−1
	3rd: 14848. 7 kJ·mol−1
Atomic radius	105 pm
Atomic radius (calc. Atomic radius, and more generally the size of an atom, is not a precisely defined Physical quantity, nor is it constant in all circumstances A picometre ( American spelling: picometer, symbol pm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one trillionth )	112 pm
Covalent radius	90 pm
Miscellaneous
Magnetic ordering	diamagnetic
Thermal conductivity	(300 K) 200 W·m−1·K−1
Thermal expansion	(25 °C) 11. The covalent radius, r cov is a measure of the size of Atom which forms part of a Covalent bond. In Physics, magnetism is one of the Phenomena by which Materials exert attractive or repulsive Forces on other Materials. Diamagnetism is the property of an object which causes it to create a magnetic field in opposition of an externally applied Magnetic field, thus causing a repulsive effect In Physics, thermal conductivity, k is the property of a material that indicates its ability to conduct Heat. When the Temperature of a substance changes the energy that is stored in the Intermolecular bonds between atoms changes 3 µm·m−1·K−1
Speed of sound (thin rod)	(r.t.) 12870[2] m·s−1
Young's modulus	287 GPa
Shear modulus	132 GPa
Bulk modulus	130 GPa
Poisson ratio	0. Sound is a vibration that travels through an elastic medium as a Wave. Room temperature (also referred to as ambient temperature) is a common term to denote a certain Temperature within enclosed space at which humans are accustomed In Solid mechanics, Young's modulus (E is a measure of the Stiffness of an isotropic elastic material In Materials science, shear modulus or modulus of rigidity, denoted by G, or sometimes S or μ, is defined as the ratio of Shear Poisson's ratio ( ν) named after Simeon Poisson, is the ratio of the relative contraction strain, or transverse strain (normal to 032
Mohs hardness	5. The Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various Minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material 5
Vickers hardness	1670 MPa
Brinell hardness	600 MPa
CAS registry number	7440-41-7
Selected isotopes
Main article: Isotopes of beryllium iso NA half-life DM DE (MeV) DP 7Be trace 53. The Vickers hardness test was developed in 1924 by Smith and Sandland as an alternative method to measure the Hardness of materials The Brinell scale characterizes the indentation Hardness of materials through the scale of penetration of an indenter loaded on a material test-piece CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for Chemical compounds Polymers biological sequences mixtures and Alloys They are also referred to Although Beryllium ( Be) has multiple Isotopes, only one of these isotopes is stable as such it is considered a monoisotopic element Isotopes (Greek isos = "equal" tópos = "site place" are any of the different types of atoms ( Nuclides In Chemistry, natural abundance (NA refers to the abundance Isotopes of a Chemical element as naturally found on a planet Half-Life (computer-game page here It's already listed in the disambiguation page Radioactive decay is the process in which an unstable Atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting ionizing particles and Radiation. The decay energy is the Energy released by a Nuclear decay. The energy difference of the Reactants is often written as Q: where Q In Nuclear physics, a decay product, also known as a daughter product, daughter isotope or daughter nuclide, is a Nuclide A trace radioisotope is a Radioisotope that occurs naturally in trace amounts (i 12 d ε - 7Li γ 0. A day (symbol d is a unit of Time equivalent to 24 Hours and the duration of a single Rotation of planet Earth with respect to the Electron capture (sometimes called inverse beta decay) is a Decay mode for Isotopes that will occur when there are too many Protons in the Lithium (ˈlɪθiəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Li and Atomic number 3 Gamma rays (denoted as &gamma) are a form of Electromagnetic radiation or light emission of frequencies produced by sub-atomic particle interactions 477 - 9Be 100% 9Be is stable with 5 neutrons 10Be trace 1. Stable isotopes are chemical isotopes that are not Radioactive (to current knowledge This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. A trace radioisotope is a Radioisotope that occurs naturally in trace amounts (i 51×106 y β- 0. A year (from Old English gēr) is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the Orbit of the Earth around the Sun In Nuclear physics, beta decay is a type of Radioactive decay in which a Beta particle (an Electron or a Positron) is emitted 556 10B
References
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Beryllium (pronounced /bəˈrɪliəm/) is a chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. Boron (ˈbɔərɒn is a Chemical element with Atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. Recommended values for many properties of the elements together with various references are collected on these data pages A chemical element is a type of Atom that is distinguished by its Atomic number; that is by the number of Protons in its nucleus. See also List of elements by atomic number In Chemistry and Physics, the atomic number (also known as the proton A bivalent element, beryllium is a steel grey, strong, light-weight yet brittle alkaline earth metal. Bivalent (chemistry two or more atoms bound together as a single unit and forming part of a molecule An atom which can form two covalent bonds with other molecules (such as oxygen Biological occurrences Beryllium's low aqueous solubility means it is rarely available to biological systems it has no known role in living organisms and when encountered The M acro E xpansion T emplate A ttribute L anguage complements TAL, providing macros which allow the reuse of code across It is primarily used as a hardening agent in alloys, most notably beryllium copper. An alloy is a Solid solution or Homogeneous mixture of two or more elements, at least one of which is a Metal, which itself has Beryllium copper, also known as copper beryllium, BeCu or beryllium bronze, is a metal Alloy of Copper and 0 Commercial use of beryllium metal presents technical challenges due to the toxicity (especially by inhalation) of beryllium-containing dusts.

Beryllium is a relatively rare element in both the Earth and the universe, because it is not formed in conventional stellar nucleosynthesis. Nucleosynthesis is the process of creating new atomic nuclei from preexisting Nucleons (protons and neutrons The element is not known to be necessary or useful for either plant or animal life.

Properties

• It has one of the highest melting points of the light metals. The melting point of a solid is the temperature range at which it changes state from solid to Liquid. Light metals are Metals of low Atomic weight. The cut off between light metals and Heavy metals varies The modulus of elasticity of beryllium is approximately a third greater than that of steel. An elastic modulus, or modulus of elasticity, is the mathematical description of an object or substance's tendency to be deformed elastically (i The combination of this modulus plus beryllium's relatively low density gives it a fast sound conduction speed at standard conditions (about 12. Sound is a vibration that travels through an elastic medium as a Wave. 9 km/s). It has excellent thermal conductivity and is nonmagnetic. In Physics, thermal conductivity, k is the property of a material that indicates its ability to conduct Heat.

Beryllium target which "converts" a proton beam into a neutron beam

• It is highly permeable to X-rays, and neutrons are liberated when it is hit by alpha particles, as from radium or polonium (about 30 neutrons/million alpha particles). X-radiation (composed of X-rays) is a form of Electromagnetic radiation. This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. Alpha particles (named after and denoted by the first letter in the Greek alphabet, α consist of two Protons and two Neutrons bound together into a Radium (ˈreɪdiəm is a radioactive Chemical element which has the symbol Ra and Atomic number 88 Polonium (pəˈloʊniəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Po and Atomic number 84 discovered in 1898 by Marie and Pierre Curie
• At standard temperature and pressures beryllium resists oxidation when exposed to air (although its ability to scratch glass is probably due to the formation of a thin layer of the oxide). In Physical sciences standard conditions for temperature and pressure are Standard sets of conditions for experimental measurements to allow comparisons to be made Redox (shorthand for reduction-oxidation reaction describes all Chemical reactions in which atoms have their Oxidation number ( Oxidation state It resists attack by concentrated nitric acid. Nitric acid ( H[[nitrate NO3]] also known as Aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosive and

History

This element was discovered by Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin in 1798 as the oxide in beryl and in emeralds. Louis Nicolas Vauquelin ( May 16, 1763 - November 14, 1829) was a French Pharmacist and Chemist. Year 1798 ( MDCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Mineral beryl is a Beryllium Aluminium cyclosilicate with the Chemical formula Be3Al2(SiO36 Emeralds are a variety of the Mineral Beryl (Be3Al2(SiO36 colored Green by trace amounts Friedrich Wöhler and A. A. Bussy independently isolated the metal in 1828 by reacting potassium and beryllium chloride. Friedrich Wöhler (31 July 1800 - 23 September 1882 was a German Chemist, best-known for his synthesis of Urea, but also the first to isolate several Antoine Alexandre Brutus Bussy ( May 29, 1794, Marseille - February 1, 1882, Paris) was a French Chemist The year 1828 ( MDCCCXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Potassium (pəˈtæsiəm is a Chemical element. It has the symbol K (kalium from qalīy Atomic number 19 and Atomic mass 39 Beryllium chloride is the Chemical compound with the formula BeCl2

Etymology

The name beryllium comes from the Greek βερυλλος, beryllos, beryl, from Prakrit veruliya, from Pāli veuriya; akin or perhaps akin to Tamil language veiru or, viar, "to become pale," in reference to the pale semiprecious gemstone beryl. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Prakrit (also transliterated as Pracrit) ( Sanskrit: prākṛta प्राकृत (from pra-kṛti प्रकृति according to one Pali ( ISO 15919 / ALA-LC: Pāḷi is a Middle Indo-Aryan language or Prakrit of India. Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. The Mineral beryl is a Beryllium Aluminium cyclosilicate with the Chemical formula Be3Al2(SiO36 ^[3] At one time beryllium was referred to as glucinium (with the accompanying chemical symbol "Gl"^[4]), the name coming from the Greek word for sweet, due to the sweet taste of its salts. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants

Applications

Mechanical

• Due to its stiffness, light weight, and dimensional stability over a wide temperature range, Beryllium metal is used in the defense and aerospace industries as light-weight structural materials in high-speed aircraft, missiles, space vehicles, and communication satellites. A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial Satellite stationed in space for the purposes of Telecommunications. For example, many high-quality liquid fueled rockets use nozzles of pure Be, an example being the Saturn V. The Saturn V (pronounced 'Saturn Five' popularly known as the Moon Rocket was a multistage liquid-fuel expendable Rocket used by NASA 's
• Beryllium is used as an alloying agent in the production of beryllium copper, which contains up to 2. An alloy is a Solid solution or Homogeneous mixture of two or more elements, at least one of which is a Metal, which itself has Beryllium copper, also known as copper beryllium, BeCu or beryllium bronze, is a metal Alloy of Copper and 0 5% beryllium. Beryllium-copper alloys are used in a wide variety of applications because of their combination of high electrical and thermal conductivity, high strength and hardness, nonmagnetic properties, along with good corrosion and fatigue resistance. Electrical conductivity or specific conductivity is a measure of a material's ability to conduct an Electric current. In Physics, thermal conductivity, k is the property of a material that indicates its ability to conduct Heat. Hardness refers to various properties of Matter in the Solid phase that give it high resistance to various kinds of shape change when Force These applications include the making of spot-welding electrodes, springs, non-sparking tools and electrical contacts. Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials usually Metals or Thermoplastics by causing coalescence. A spring is a flexible elastic object used to store mechanical Energy. An electrical connector is a conductive device for joining Electrical circuits together
• In the telecommunications industry, tools made of beryllium are used to tune the highly magnetic klystrons used for high power microwave applications. A klystron is a specialized linear-beam Vacuum tube (evacuated electron tube Microwaves are electromagnetic waves with Wavelengths ranging from 1 mm to 1 m or frequencies between 0
• Beryllium copper is used in electrical spring contacts.
• Beryllium is used in the making of gyroscopes, computer equipment, watch springs and instruments where light-weight, rigidity and dimensional stability are needed. A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of Angular momentum. A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions.
• The James Webb Space Telescope^[5] will have 18 hexagonal beryllium sections for its mirrors. The James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST) is a planned space Infrared observatory the successor to the aging Hubble Space Telescope. Because JWST will face a temperature of −240 degrees Celsius (33 kelvins), the mirror is made of beryllium, a material capable of handling extreme cold better than glass. The kelvin (symbol K) is a unit increment of Temperature and is one of the seven SI base units The Kelvin scale is a thermodynamic Beryllium contracts and deforms less than glass — and thus remains more uniform — in such temperatures. For the same reason, the optics of the Spitzer Space Telescope are entirely built of beryllium metal. The Spitzer Space Telescope (formerly the Space Infrared Telescope Facility, SIRTF) is an Infrared Space observatory.
• Beryllium has been used in tweeter and mid-range audio loudspeaker construction as an alternative to titanium and aluminium, largely due to its lower density and greater rigidity. A tweeter is a Loudspeaker designed to produce high frequencies typically from around 2000 Hertz to 20000 hertz (20000 Hz generally considered to be the upper A Loudspeaker driver that produces the frequency range from approximately 300&ndash5000 Hertz is known as a mid-range. For the Marty Friedman album see Loudspeaker (album A loudspeaker, speaker, or speaker system is an electroacoustical Titanium (taɪˈteɪniəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Ti and Atomic number 22 WikipediaNaming
• In 1968 Porsche employed brake discs made of Beryllium in the 909 hill-climb spyder. Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch

Radiation

A square beryllium foil mounted in a steel case to be used as a window between a vacuum chamber and an X-ray microscope. An X-ray microscope uses Electromagnetic radiation in the soft X-ray band to produce images of very small objects Beryllium, due to its low Z number is highly transparent to X-rays. See also List of elements by atomic number In Chemistry and Physics, the atomic number (also known as the proton

• Thin sheets of beryllium foil are used as windows in X-ray detectors to filter out visible light and allow only X-rays to be detected. X-radiation (composed of X-rays) is a form of Electromagnetic radiation.
• Sheets of beryllium ranging from 3 millimetres (0. 12 in) thick down to 25 micrometres (0. 00098 in) thick are used as the output window in x-ray tubes, allowing x-rays to leave the tube while keeping a vacuum on the inside of the tube.
• In the field of X-ray lithography beryllium is used for the reproduction of microscopic integrated circuits. X-ray lithography is a next generation Lithography that has been developed for the Semiconductor industry Microchipsjpg|right|thumb|200px|Microchips ( EPROM memory with a transparent window showing the integrated circuit inside
• Because of its low atomic number beryllium is almost transparent to energetic electrically charged particles. See also List of elements by atomic number In Chemistry and Physics, the atomic number (also known as the proton In Particle physics, an elementary particle or fundamental particle is a particle not known to have substructure that is it is not known to be made Therefore it is used to build the beam pipe around the collision region in collider particle physics experiments. A collider is a type of a Particle accelerator involving directed beams of particles. Particle physics is a branch of Physics that studies the elementary constituents of Matter and Radiation, and the interactions between them Notably all four main detector experiments at the Large Hadron Collider accelerator (ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, LHCb) use a beryllium beam-pipe. ALICE ( A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is one of the six detector experiments being constructed at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. ATLAS ( A T oroidal L HC A pparatu' S') is one of the six The Compact Muon Solenoid ( CMS) experiment is one of two large general-purpose Particle physics detectors built on the proton-proton The LHCb (standing for " Large Hadron Collider beauty " where "beauty" refers to the Bottom quark) experiment is one of six particle physics

Nuclear

• Beryllium is used in nuclear weapon designs as the outer layer of the pit of the primary stage, surrounding the fissile material. Nuclear weapon designs are physical chemical and engineering arrangements that cause the physics package of a nuclear weapon to detonate Nuclear weapon designs are physical chemical and engineering arrangements that cause the physics package of a nuclear weapon to detonate In Nuclear engineering, a fissile material is one that is capable of sustaining a Chain reaction of Nuclear fission. It is a good pusher for implosion, and the best possible neutron reflector, reducing the critical mass needed for a fission chain reaction and increasing the proportion of fuel that fissions, while itself adding little mass to the weapon. A neutron reflector is any material that reflects Neutrons Usually this term refers to the elastic scattering rather than to a Specular reflection. A critical mass is the smallest amount of Fissile material needed for a sustained Nuclear chain reaction. A chain reaction is a sequence of Reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place It is a poor tamper because of its low mass, but this is unimportant in fusion-boosted fission weapons. A boosted fission weapon usually refers to a type of Nuclear bomb that uses a small amount of fusion fuel to increase the rate and thus yield of a fission As a light element with few electrons, the fission explosion completely ionizes it quickly, making it transparent to X-rays and letting the energy from a primary fission explosion escape for radiation implosion of a secondary fusion stage. Ionization is the physical process of converting an Atom or Molecule into an Ion by adding or removing charged particles such as Electrons X-radiation (composed of X-rays) is a form of Electromagnetic radiation. The term radiation implosion describes the process behind a class of devices which use high levels of Electromagnetic radiation to compress a target The Teller–Ulam design is a Nuclear weapon design which is used in Megaton -range Thermonuclear weapons and is more colloquially referred to as "the
• Beryllium is a good neutron moderator because it has a low neutron absorption cross section, and because light nuclei are more effective at slowing down neutrons than heavy nuclei. In Nuclear engineering, a neutron moderator is a medium which reduces the velocity of Fast neutrons thereby turning them into Thermal neutrons capable Neutron capture is a kind of Nuclear reaction in which an Atomic nucleus collides with one or more Neutrons and they merge to form a heavier nucleus The total neutron cross section of an isotope of a Chemical element is the effective cross sectional area that an atom of that isotope presents to Neutron scattering It has been used in some nuclear reactors; see Category:Beryllium moderated reactors. This article is a subarticle of Nuclear power. A nuclear reactor is a device in which Nuclear chain reactions are initiated controlled
• Beryllium is sometimes used in neutron sources, in which the beryllium is mixed with an alpha emitter such as ²¹⁰Po, ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁹Pu or ²⁴¹Am. Neutron source is a general term referring to a variety devices that emit Neutrons, irrespective of the mechanism used to produce the neutrons Polonium (pəˈloʊniəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Po and Atomic number 84 discovered in 1898 by Marie and Pierre Curie Radium (ˈreɪdiəm is a radioactive Chemical element which has the symbol Ra and Atomic number 88 Americium (ˌæməˈrɪsiəm is a Synthetic element that has the symbol Am and Atomic number 95
• Beryllium is used in the Joint European Torus fusion research facility and will be used in ITER, to condition the plasma facing components. JET, the Joint European Torus, is the largest Nuclear fusion experimental reactor yet built In Physics and Nuclear chemistry, nuclear fusion is the process by which multiple- like charged atomic nuclei join together to form a heavier nucleus ITER is an international Tokamak ( Magnetic confinement fusion) research/engineering proposal for an experimental project that will help to make the transition from ^[6]

Compounds

• Beryllium is an effective p-type dopant in III-V compound semiconductors. It is widely used in materials such as GaAs, AlGaAs, InGaAs, and InAlAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).
• Beryllium oxide is useful for many applications that require the combined properties of an electrical insulator an excellent heat conductor, with high strength and hardness, with a very high melting point. Beryllium oxide ( BeO) is a white crystalline oxide It is notable as it is an electrical insulator with a thermal conductivity higher than any other non-metal that actually Beryllium oxide is frequently used as an insulator base plate in high-power transistors in RF transmitters for telecommunications. Beryllium oxide is also being studied for use in increasing the thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide nuclear fuel pellets. In Physics, thermal conductivity, k is the property of a material that indicates its ability to conduct Heat. Uranium dioxide (2 an Oxide of Uranium, also known as urania or uranic oxide is a black radioactive crystalline powder Nuclear fuel is any material that can be consumed to derive Nuclear energy, by analogy to chemical Fuel that is burned to derive energy ^[7]
• Beryllium compounds were once used in fluorescent lighting tubes, but this use was discontinued because of berylliosis in the workers manufacturing the tubes (see below). A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a Gas-discharge lamp that uses Electricity to excite mercury Vapor. Berylliosis or chronic beryllium disease (CBD is an Occupational lung disease.

See also Beryllium compounds.

Occurrence on Earth

Beryllium is an essential constituent of about 100 out of about 4000 known minerals, the most important of which are bertrandite (Be₄Si₂O₇(OH)₂), beryl (Al₂Be₃Si₆O₁₈), chrysoberyl (Al₂BeO₄), and phenakite (Be₂SiO₄). A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition a highly ordered atomic structure and specific Bertrandite is a Beryllium sorosilicate Hydroxide mineral with composition Be4Si2O7(OH2 The Mineral beryl is a Beryllium Aluminium cyclosilicate with the Chemical formula Be3Al2(SiO36 The Mineral or Gemstone chrysoberyl, not to be confused with Beryl, is an aluminate of Beryllium with the formula BeAl2O4 Phenacite or phenakite is a nesosilicate Mineral consisting of Beryllium orthosilicate Be 2 Si[[oxygen O]]4 Precious forms of beryl are aquamarine, bixbite and emerald. Aquamarine (Lat aqua marinā, "water of the sea" is a Gemstone -quality transparent variety of Beryl, having a delicate blue or Turquoise Red beryl (also known as bixbite, red emerald or scarlet emerald) is a red variety of Beryl (emerald Be3(AlMn2(SiO36 Emeralds are a variety of the Mineral Beryl (Be3Al2(SiO36 colored Green by trace amounts

The most important commercial sources of beryllium and its compounds are beryl and bertrandite. Beryllium metal did not become readily available until 1957. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Currently, most production of this metal is accomplished by reducing beryllium fluoride with magnesium metal. Beryllium fluoride is the Chemical compound with the formula BeF2 Magnesium (mægˈniːziəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Mg, Atomic number 12 Atomic weight 24 The price on the US market for vacuum-cast beryllium ingots was 338 US$ per pound ($745/kg) in 2001. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[8]

BeF₂ + Mg → MgF₂ + Be

See also beryllium minerals.

Isotopes

Of beryllium's isotopes, only ⁹Be is stable. Isotopes (Greek isos = "equal" tópos = "site place" are any of the different types of atoms ( Nuclides Cosmogenic ¹⁰Be is produced in the atmosphere by cosmic ray spallation of oxygen and nitrogen. Environmental Radioactivity is the study of radioactive materials in the Human environment. Temperature and layers The temperature of the Earth's atmosphere varies with altitude the mathematical relationship between temperature and altitude varies among five Cosmic ray spallation is a form of naturally occurring Nuclear fission and Nucleosynthesis. Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14 Because beryllium tends to exist in solutions below about pH 5. In Chemistry, a solution is a Homogeneous Mixture composed of two or more substances pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a Solution. 5 (and rainwater above many indutrialized areas can have a pH less than 5), it will dissolve and be transported to the Earth's surface via rainwater. As the precipitation quickly becomes more alkaline, beryllium drops out of solution. Precipitation is the formation of a Solid in a Solution during a Chemical reaction. In Chemistry, an alkali (from Arabic: Al-Qaly القلي القالي) is a basic, ionic salt of an Alkali metal Cosmogenic ¹⁰Be thereby accumulates at the soil surface, where its relatively long half-life (1. Soil, often typeset as SOiL, is a four piece rock band from Chicago Illinois United States founded by Shaun Glass Tom Schofield Tim King and Adam Zadel Half-Life (computer-game page here It's already listed in the disambiguation page 51 million years) permits a long residence time before decaying to ¹⁰B. Boron (ˈbɔərɒn is a Chemical element with Atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. ¹⁰Be and its daughter products have been used to examine soil erosion, soil formation from regolith, the development of lateritic soils, as well as variations in solar activity and the age of ice cores. Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind Pedogenesis or soil evolution (formation is the process by which Soil is created Regolith ( Greek: "blanket rock" is a layer of loose Heterogeneous material covering solid rock. Laterite (from the Latin word "later" meaning brick or tile is a surface formation in hot and wet tropical areas which is enriched in Iron and Aluminium Solar variations are changes in the amount of Solar radiation emitted by the Sun. An ice core is a Core sample from the accumulation of snow and ice over many years that have re-crystallized and have trapped air bubbles from previous time periods It is also formed in nuclear explosions by a reaction of fast neutrons with ¹³C in the carbon dioxide in air, and is one of the historical indicators of past activity at nuclear test sites.

Plot showing variations in solar activity, including variation in ¹⁰Be concentration.

The fact that ⁷Be and ⁸Be are unstable has profound cosmological consequences as it means that elements heavier than beryllium could not be produced by nuclear fusion in the Big Bang. The Big Bang is the cosmological model of the Universe that is best supported by all lines of scientific evidence and Observation. However, Fred Hoyle showed that the energy levels of ⁸Be and ¹²C favour carbon production by the triple-alpha process in helium burning stars, thus making life possible. Sir Fred Hoyle FRS ( 24 June, 1915  &ndash 20 August, 2001) was an English Astronomer primarily The triple alpha process is a set of Nuclear fusion reactions by which three Helium nuclei ( Alpha particles are transformed into Carbon. (See also Big Bang nucleosynthesis). In Physical cosmology, Big Bang nucleosynthesis (or primordial nucleosynthesis) refers to the production of nuclei other than those of H-1 (i

⁷Be decays by electron capture, therefore its decay rate is dependent upon its electron configuration - a rare occurrence in nuclear decay^[9].

The shortest-lived known isotope of beryllium is ¹³Be which decays through neutron emission. Neutron emission is a type of Radioactive decay of atoms containing excess Neutrons in which a neutron is simply ejected from the nucleus It has a half-life of 2. 7 × 10^-21 second. ⁶Be is also very short-lived with a half-life of 5. 0 × 10^-21 second.

The exotics ¹¹Be and ¹⁴Be are known to exhibit a nuclear halo. In Nuclear physics, an atomic nucleus is called a halo nucleus or is said to have a nuclear halo if its radius is appreciably larger than that predicted by the

Precautions

Beryllium ore

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), beryllium and beryllium compounds are Category 1 carcinogens; they are carcinogenic to both animals and humans. The International Agency for Research on Cancer ( IARC, or CIRC in its French Acronym) is an intergovernmental agency forming part of the World Health Substances mixtures and exposure circumstances in this list have been classified by the IARC as Group 1: The agent (mixture is Carcinogenic to humans ^[10] Chronic berylliosis is a pulmonary and systemic granulomatous disease caused by exposure to beryllium. Berylliosis or chronic beryllium disease (CBD is an Occupational lung disease. lung is the essential Respiration organ in air-breathing Animals including most Tetrapods a few Fish and a few Snails The most primitive Systemic circulation is the portion of the Cardiovascular system which carries Oxygenated Blood away from the heart to the Body, and returns In Medicine ( Anatomical pathology) a granuloma (classical Latin plural granulomata; modern anglicized plural granulomas, also accepted Acute beryllium disease in the form of chemical pneumonitis was first reported in Europe in 1933 and in the United States in 1943. Chemical pneumonitis is inflammation of the lung caused by irritation from aspirated Vomitus or barium used in gastro-intestinal imaging ingested Gasoline or Cases of chronic berylliosis were first described in 1946 among workers in plants manufacturing fluorescent lamps in Massachusetts. A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a Gas-discharge lamp that uses Electricity to excite mercury Vapor. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Chronic berylliosis resembles sarcoidosis in many respects, and the differential diagnosis is often difficult. Sarcoidosis, also called sarcoid (from the Greek sarx, meaning "flesh" or Besnier-Boeck disease, is an immune system disorder characterized It occasionally killed early workers in nuclear weapons design, such as Herbert Anderson [1].

Although the use of beryllium compounds in fluorescent lighting tubes was discontinued in 1949, potential for exposure to beryllium exists in the nuclear and aerospace industries and in the refining of beryllium metal and melting of beryllium-containing alloys, the manufacturing of electronic devices, and the handling of other beryllium-containing material.

Early researchers tasted beryllium and its various compounds for sweetness in order to verify its presence. Modern diagnostic equipment no longer necessitates this highly risky procedure and no attempt should be made to ingest this highly toxic substance. Beryllium and its compounds should be handled with great care and special precautions must be taken when carrying out any activity which could result in the release of beryllium dust (lung cancer is a possible result of prolonged exposure to beryllium laden dust). Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung.

This substance can be handled safely if certain procedures are followed. No attempt should be made to work with beryllium before familiarization with correct handling procedures.

A successful test for beryllium on different surface areas has been recently developed. The procedure uses fluorescence when beryllium is bound to sulfonated hydroxybenzoquinoline to detect up to 10 times lower than the recommended limit for beryllium concentration in the work place. Fluorescence increases with increasing beryllium concentration. The new procedure has been successfully tested on a variety of surfaces.

Inhalation

Beryllium can be harmful if inhaled and the effects depend on period of exposure. If beryllium concentrations in air are high enough (greater than 100 µg/m³), an acute condition can result, called acute beryllium disease, which resembles pneumonia. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal Occupational and community air standards are effective in preventing most acute lung damage. Long term exposure to beryllium can increase the risk of developing lung cancer. Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. The more common and serious health hazard from beryllium today is chronic beryllium disease (CBD), discussed below. It continues to occur in industries as diverse as metal recycling, dental laboratories, alloy manufacturing, nuclear weapons production, defense industries, and metal machine shops that work with alloys containing small amounts of beryllium.

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD)

Some people (1-15%) become sensitive to beryllium. These individuals may develop an inflammatory reaction that principally targets the respiratory system and skin. This condition is called chronic beryllium disease (CBD), and can occur within a few months or many years after exposure to higher than normal levels of beryllium (greater than 0. 02 µg/m³). This disease causes fatigue, weakness, night sweats and can cause difficulty in breathing and a persistent dry cough. It can result in anorexia, weight loss, and may also lead to right-side heart enlargement and heart disease in advanced cases. Some people who are sensitized to beryllium may not have any symptoms. The disease is treatable, but not curable with traditional drugs and medicine. CBD occurs when the body's immune system recognizes beryllium particles as foreign material and mounts an immune system attack against the particles. An immune system is a collection of mechanisms within an Organism that protects against Disease by identifying and killing Pathogens and Tumor Because these particles are typically inhaled into the lungs, the lungs become the major site where the immune system responds, they become inflamed and fill with large numbers of white blood cells that accumulate wherever beryllium particles are found. These cells form balls around the beryllium particles called “granulomas. In Medicine ( Anatomical pathology) a granuloma (classical Latin plural granulomata; modern anglicized plural granulomas, also accepted ” When enough of these develop, they interfere with the normal function of the organ. Over time, the lungs become stiff and lose their ability to help transfer oxygen from the air into the bloodstream. Patients with CBD develop difficulty inhaling and exhaling sufficient amounts of air, and the amount of oxygen in their bloodstreams falls. Treatment of such patients includes use of oxygen and medicines that try to suppress the immune system’s over-reaction to beryllium. A class of immunosuppressive medicines called glucocorticoids (example: prednisone) is most commonly used as treatment. Glucocorticoids (GC are a class of Steroid hormones characterised by an ability to bind with the glucocorticoid receptor ( GR) and trigger similar effects Prednisone is a synthetic Corticosteroid drug that is usually taken orally but can be delivered by Intramuscular injection and can be used for a great number The general population is unlikely to develop acute or chronic beryllium disease because ambient air levels of beryllium are normally very low (0. 00003-0. 0002 µg/m³).

Ingestion

Swallowing beryllium has not been reported to cause effects in humans because very little beryllium is absorbed from the stomach and intestines. Ulcers have been seen in dogs ingesting beryllium in their diet.

Dermatological effects

Beryllium can cause contact dermatitis. Contact dermatitis is a term for a Skin reaction resulting from exposure to Allergens (allergic contact dermatitis or irritants (irritant contact dermatitis Beryllium contact with skin that has been scraped or cut may cause rashes, ulcers, or bumps under the skin called granulomas. A rash is a change of the Skin which affects its color appearance or Texture. In Medicine ( Anatomical pathology) a granuloma (classical Latin plural granulomata; modern anglicized plural granulomas, also accepted

Effects on children

There are no studies on the health effects of children exposed to beryllium, although individual cases of CBD have been reported in children of beryllium workers from the 1940s. It is likely that the health effects seen in children exposed to beryllium will be similar to the effects seen in adults. It is unknown whether children differ from adults in their susceptibility to beryllium. It is unclear whether beryllium is teratogenic. Teratology stems from the Greek ( Genitive) meaning monster, or marvel and, meaning word, speech.

Detection in the body

Beryllium can be measured in the urine and blood. The amount of beryllium in blood or urine may not indicate time or quantity of exposure. Beryllium levels can also be measured in lung and skin samples. While such measurements may help establish that exposure has occurred, other tests are used to determine if that exposure has resulted in health effects. A blood test, the blood beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT), identifies beryllium sensitization and has predictive value for CBD. The BeLPT has become the standard test for detecting beryllium sensitization and CBD in individuals who are suspected of having CBD and to help distinguish it from similar conditions such as sarcoidosis. It is also the main test used in industry health programs to monitor whether disease is occurring among current and former workers who have been exposed to beryllium on the job. The test can detect disease that is at an early stage, or can detect disease at more advanced stages of illness as well. The BeLPT can also be performed using cells obtained from a person's lung by a procedure called "bronchoscopy. "

Industrial release and occupational exposure limits

Typical levels of beryllium that industries may release into the air are of the order of 0. 01 µg/m³, averaged over a 30-day period, or 2 µg/m³ of workroom air for an 8-hour work shift. Compliance with the current U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit for beryllium of 2 µg/m³ has been determined to be inadequate to protect workers from developing beryllium sensitization and CBD. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. The Permissible Exposure Limit ( PEL or OSHA PEL) is a legal limit in the United States for exposure of an employee to a Substance The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), which is an independent organization of experts in the field of occupational health, has proposed a threshold limit value (TLV) of 0. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH is a professional association of industrial hygienists and practitioners of related professions 05 µg/m³ in a 2006 Notice of Intended Change (NIC). This TLV is 40 times lower than the current OSHA permissible exposure limit, reflecting the ACGIH analysis of best available peer-reviewed research data concerning how little airborne beryllium is required to cause sensitization and CBD. Because it can be difficult to control industrial exposures to beryllium, it is advisable to use any methods possible to reduce airborne and surface contamination by beryllium, to minimize the use of beryllium and beryllium-containing alloys whenever possible, and to educate people about the potential hazards if they are likely to encounter beryllium dust or fumes.

See also

• Category:Beryllium compounds
• Sucker Bait, a story by Isaac Asimov in which the health hazard of beryllium dust is an important plot point

References

• Los Alamos National Laboratory – Beryllium
• Burrell, AK. Ehler, DS. McClesky, TM. Minogue, EM. Taylor, TP. Development of a New Fluorescence Method for the Detection of Beryllium on Surfaces. Journal of ASTM International (JAI). 2005. Vol 2: Issue 9. http://www.astm.org/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/JOURNALS/JAI/PAGES/JAI13168.htm?E+mystore
• Infante PF, Newman LS. "Commentary: Beryllium exposure and Chronic Beryllium Disease. " Lancet 2004; 415-16.
• Newman LS. "Beryllium. " Chemical & Engineering News, 2003; 36:38.
• Kelleher PC, Martyny JW, Mroz MM, Maier LA, Ruttenber JA, Young DA, Newman LS. "Beryllium particulate exposure and disease relations in a beryllium machining plant. " J Occup Environ Med 2001; 43:238-249.
• Mroz MM, Balkissoon R, Newman LS. "Beryllium. " In: Bingham E, Cohrssen B, Powell C (eds. ) Patty’s Toxicology, Fifth Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons 2001, 177-220.
• Beryllium and Compounds: TLV Chemical Substances Draft Documentation, Notice of Intended Change ACGIH Publication #7NIC-042

External links

• ATSDR Case Studies in Environmental Medicine: Beryllium Toxicity U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Computational Chemistry Wiki
• WebElements.com – Beryllium
• It's Elemental – Beryllium
• National Pollutant Inventory - Beryllium and compounds
• MSDS: ESPI Metals
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health – Beryllium Page