Beryllium copper, also known as copper beryllium, CuBe or beryllium bronze, is a metal alloy of copper and 0. 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 Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 5 to 3% beryllium, and sometimes with other alloying elements, and has significant metalworking and operating performance qualities. Beryllium (bəˈrɪliəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Be and Atomic number 4 Metalworking is craft and practice of working with Metals to create individual parts assemblies or large scale structures

Properties

Beryllium copper is a ductile, weldable, and machinable alloy. It is resistant to non-oxidizing acids (for example, hydrochloric acid, or carbonic acid), to plastic decomposition products, to abrasive wear and to galling. An abrasive is a material often a Mineral, that is used to shape or finish a workpiece through rubbing which leads to part of the workpiece being worn away In Materials science, wear is the erosion of material from a Solid Surface by the action of another substance Galling is a process that causes friction when metal parts like nuts and bolts are rubbed together among the high spots on the surface Furthermore, it can be heat-treated to improve its strength, durability, and electrical conductivity. Second Album by Rock and roll Singer-songwriter near-legend Graham Parker. Electrical conductivity or specific conductivity is a measure of a material's ability to conduct an Electric current.

As beryllium is toxic there are some safety concerns for handling its alloys. Beryllium (bəˈrɪliəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Be and Atomic number 4 Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism In solid form and as finished parts, beryllium copper presents no particular health hazard. However, breathing its dust, as formed when machining or welding may cause serious lung damage. [1]Beryllium compounds are known human carcinogens when inhaled. [2] As a result, beryllium copper is sometimes replaced by safer copper alloys such as Cu-Ni-Sn bronze. [3]

Uses

Beryllium copper is used in springs and other parts that must retain their shapes during periods in which they are subjected to repeated strain. A spring is a flexible elastic object used to store mechanical Energy. Due to its electrical conductivity, it is used in low-current contacts for batteries and electrical connectors. Because Beryllium copper is non-sparking but physically tough and nonmagnetic, it is used to make tools that can be used in extremely cold environments like Antarctica. In Physics, magnetism is one of the Phenomena by which Materials exert attractive or repulsive Forces on other Materials. Various tool types are available eg screwdrivers, pliers, spanners, cold chisels and hammers [4]. The screwdriver is a device specifically designed to insert and tighten or to loosen and remove Screws The screwdriver comprises a head or tip which engages with Pliers are Hand tools designed primarily for gripping objects by using Leverage. A wrench or spanner is a Tool used to provide a Mechanical advantage in applying Torque to turn bolts, nuts or A chisel is a Tool with a characteristically shaped Cutting edge (such that wood chisels have lent part of their name to a particular grind) of blade on A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object The most common uses are for driving nails fitting parts and breaking up objects Another metal sometimes used for non-sparking tools is aluminium bronze. Aluminium bronze is a type of Bronze in which Aluminium is the main Alloying Metal added to Copper. Compared to tools made of steel, Beryllium copper tools are more expensive, not as strong and wear out more quickly. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 However, the advantages of using Beryllium copper in hazardous environments outweigh these disadvantages.

Example of a non-sparking tool

Beryllium copper is also frequently used in the manufacture of professional-quality percussion instruments, especially tambourine and triangle, where it is prized for its clear tone and strong resonance. The tambourine or Marine is a Musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame often of wood or plastic with pairs of small metal jingles The triangle is an Idiophone type of Musical instrument in the percussion family Unlike most other materials, an instrument composed of beryllium copper will maintain a consistent tone and timbre for as long as the material resonates. The "feel" of such instruments is rich and melodious to the point that they seem out of place when used in darker, more rhythmic pieces of classical music.

Beryllium copper has also found use in ultra-low temperature cryogenic equipment, such as dilution refrigerators, because of its combination of mechanical strength and relatively high thermal conductivity in this temperature range. A dilution refrigerator is a cryogenic device first proposed by Heinz London.

Beryllium copper has also been used for armour piercing bullets, [5] though any such usage is unusual because bullets made from steel alloys are much less expensive, but have similar properties. An armor-piercing shell is a type of Ammunition designed to penetrate Armor. A bullet is a solid Projectile propelled by a Firearm or Air gun and is normally made from metal (usually Lead)

Beryllium copper is also used for measurement-while-drilling tools in the directional (slant drilling) drilling industry. Directional drilling (or slant drilling) is the practice of drilling non-vertical wells It can be broken down into three main groups Oilfield Directional A few companies manufacturing these tools are GE (QDT tensor positive pulse tool) and Sondex (Geolink negative pulse tool). A non-magnetic alloy is required as magnetometers are used for calculations received from the tool.

For a time, beryllium copper was also used in the manufacture of golf clubs, with emphasis on wedges and putters. Many golfers prefer the soft feel of BeCu club heads, particularly for chip shots and putts around and on the green, where an extra measure of control is desired. Due to regulatory issues and high costs, BeCu clubs are hard to find in current production. Vintage and pre-owned examples remain in demand at used club shops and on Internet auction sites.

Alloys

High strength beryllium copper alloys contain up to 2. 7% of beryllium (cast), or 1. 6-2% of beryllium with about 0. 3% cobalt (wrought). Cobalt (ˈkoʊbɒlt is a hard lustrous silver-grey Metal, a Chemical element with symbol Co. The high mechanical strength is achieved by precipitation hardening or age hardening. Precipitation hardening, also called age hardening, is a Heat treatment technique used to strengthen Malleable materials including most structural Precipitation hardening, also called age hardening, is a Heat treatment technique used to strengthen Malleable materials including most structural The thermal conductivity of these alloys lies between steels and aluminium. The cast alloys are frequently used as material for injection molds. The wrought alloys are designated by UNS as C172000 to C17400, the cast alloys are C82000 to C82800. The unified numbering system (UNS is an alloy designation system widely accepted in North America The hardening process requires rapid cooling of the annealed metal, resulting in a solid state solution of beryllium in copper, which is then kept at 200-460 °C for at least an hour, facilitating precipitation of metastable beryllide crystals in the copper matrix. Beryllide is an Intermetallic compound of Beryllium with other metals eg Overaging is avoided, as an equilibrium phase forms that depletes the beryllide crystals and reduces the strength enhancement. The beryllides are similar in both cast and wrought alloys.

High conductivity beryllium copper alloys contain up to 0. 7% beryllium, together with some nickel and cobalt. Their thermal conductivity is better than of aluminium, only a bit less than pure copper. They are usually used as electric contacts in connectors. [6]

External links

• Standards and properties - Copper and copper alloy microstructures - Copper Beryllium
• National Pollutant Inventory - Beryllium and compounds fact sheet
• National Pollutant Inventory - Copper and compounds fact sheet
• Copper beryllium and nickel beryllium datasheets