Beryllium: The Metal of the Future

            Nearly 200 years ago, in Friederich Wöhler’s laboratory in Germany, the element beryllium was isolated.  This isolation occurred twenty one years after the element was discovered by Nicholas Louis Vauquelin in France.  Both of these men had a hand in furthering science and technology in ways that they could never have dreamed of.

            The element beryllium is located in the Alkaline Earth Metal family, which is column two of the periodic table, and has the atomic number four.  Its symbol is “Be”, and it has an atomic weight of 9.01.  There is only one naturally occurring isotope of beryllium, and it is Be-9.  There are several synthetic, or man-made isotopes of beryllium, and they are Be-4, Be-6, Be-7, Be-8, Be-10, Be-11, Be-12, Be-13, and Be-14.  A beryllium atom has an electron arrangement in two levels, each with two electrons in it (2-2).

            Beryllium has many notable properties.  The element is steel gray in color.  It has a melting point of 1278°C, and a boiling point of 2970°C.  It is extremely reactive, and combines well with fluorine, chlorine, bromine, sulfur, selenium, and phosphorus.  It is also often found in metal alloys.  It does not react with nitric acid, although it does react with both hydrochloric, and sulfuric acid.  It is an extremely light metal, that is incredibly strong, in fact it is six times stronger than steel (What is Beryllium, Brush Wellman).  It is however considered brittle in small, pure quantities.  It does not spark, and is nearly invisible to x-rays.  It has extreme resistance to high temperatures.  It conducts both heat and electricity extremely well, and it is not magnetic.

            Beryllium was originally called “glucinium” because early chemists found that it had a “sweet” taste to it.  Unfortunately, the element is also highly toxic and can cause some serious diseases.  The most common of these diseases are Acute Beryllium Disease (ABD) and Chronic Beryllium Disease (CBD).  ABD has symptoms that resemble pneumonia and bronchitis, while people who have contracted CBD suffer a painfully incurable disease where beryllium combines with proteins in the body to form toxic substances (Beryllium Disease Exposure, Beryllium 411).  The name glucinium was changed to Beryllium because the main source of the element is in the mineral beryl.

            The majority of beryllium, in fact 93% of the world’s supply of beryllium, is harvested in Juab County, Utah (Calvert, J.B.).  It is found naturally in coal, oil, and soil.  It forms in the precious stones emerald and aquamarine, which are rare forms of the mineral beryl.  Another source of beryllium is beryllium aluminum silicate (Be₃AL₂(SiO₃)₆).  It also exists in about 30 rare minerals.  Perhaps needless to say, Beryllium is not a very common element, and has an abundance of only about 2.6ppm in the earth’s crust (Beryllium, LennTech).

            Beryllium is one of the most useful substances known to man.  It is quite unfortunate how rare it is.  It is used by most Americans every single day in battery contacts, cell phones, AM/FM radios, televisions, automobile components like air bag sensors, power steering, and ignition, and in fire extinguishers, and sprinkler heads.  It is used the medical field in both pace makers, and laser systems used to test for HIV.  Scientists have used beryllium to make stronger tools by mixing beryllium with other metals to make alloys.  Factory workers also utilize beryllium’s lack of sparking when hit when they make their tools.  The government uses beryllium in space shuttle, and satellite components.  It is also used in nuclear reactors, and weaponry.

            Beryllium’s wide range of uses, and low abundance have combined to make it one of the most expensive substances to buy.  Its rarity however has made it nearly impossible to get without proper paper work, and no price has been published in a respectable trade journal since 1998 (Shedd, Kim B., The United States Geological Survey).  The price of Beryllium in 1998 was a stifling $385/pound (Cunningham, Larry D., The United States Geological Survey).

            Beryllium should be handled with great care.  As a fine powder, Beryllium can be explosive when exposed to fire or high heat.  Using water to put out such a fire will create a larger explosion (See MSDS from the Electronic Space Products International Company for details).  It should not be inhaled as overexposure has resulted in diseases.  It is also suspected of causing cancer.  One should wear protective breathing gear that is entirely self-contained when exposure is inevitable.  Gloves and goggles are also recommended.  When stored, beryllium must be well labeled as a flammable solid that is also poisonous.  The quantity should also be clearly visible.  It is highly reactive, so it should be stored in isolation, or by itself.

            Beryllium is certainly the metal of the future.  Despite its small quantity, and dangerous traits such as explosive and poisonous, its benefits far outweigh the dangers and should be further researched.  The benefits have already begun to pay their dividends in our society through electronics such as telephones, and the future is unlimited for beryllium’s future possibilities in technology.  There are many obstacles to overcome before its uses can be fully taken advantage of, but beryllium is surely the metal of the future.

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