Beryllium
Description
A lightweight, gray metallic element. Beryllium was discovered in 1797 by Nicholas Vauquelin and later isolated in 1828. Metallic beryllium is the lightest structural metal known. Similar to Aluminum, it is fabricated by rolling and machining. Beryllium metal is used for aircraft and satellites. It is highly permeable to x-rays. It is also used for transmission windows on x-ray detectors. Beryllium is also alloyed with copper, aluminum, or nickel to increase their conductivity.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Be; glucinium ; béryllium (Fr.); berillio (It.); Berílio (Port.); Berilio (Esp.)
Other Properties
Soluble in acids, except nitric, and alkalis.
| Composition | Be (atomic no. 4) |
|---|---|
| CAS | 7440-41-7 |
| Melting Point | 1280 |
| Density | 1.85 |
| Molecular Weight | atomic wt = 9.01218 |
Hazards and Safety
Known carcinogen. Inhalation of dust is very highly toxic. Soluble beryllium compounds cause dermatitis.
LINK: International Chemical Safety Card
Additional Information
Web Elements: Website
Sources Checked for Data in Record
- Chemical & Engineering News, American Chemical Society, Washington DC, 81 (36) , Sept. 8, 2003 Comment: Lee S. Newman
- G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p.98
- Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
- Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
- Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 1201
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998