![]() ![]() ![]() The element itself was identified in 1798, but the name beryllium was not used until 30 years later.īeryllium’s unusual property of transparency to X-rays means that it can be used to enclose samples for analysis using X-rays, as the rays can pass through the enclosure without much disturbance. Discovery: Minerals containing beryllium (such as beryl and emerald) have been known since ancient times.Abundance in Earth’s crust: 2–6 parts per million.Periodic table group: 2 (alkaline earth metals).This is to minimise infrared emissions from the mirror itself that could otherwise interfere with signal detection. The JWST is expected to be launched in 2021, and once in place, the 18 hexagons of beryllium that make up the telescope’s primary mirror will be kept cooled to –220☌. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) – a new space telescope to replace the Hubble – will have mirrors made from pure beryllium. These qualities have made beryllium the material of choice in many aerospace applications, including for parts of satellites and supersonic aircraft. As well as its lightness and strength, beryllium has a high melting point and relatively low thermal expansion, so it changes very little when heated – or when cooled to exceptionally low temperatures, such as those in space. Pure beryllium is also used in some specialist applications, despite its high cost, because of its superb engineering qualities. They are also used as an alternative to steel in some tools – especially where there are high magnetic fields, such as from radio transmitters or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment in hospitals. These alloys have uses in high-stress applications, such as helicopter rotors. This and its low density are advantages in making very strong, corrosion-proof metal alloys, such as beryllium copper. Alloys and applicationsīeryllium’s chemical stability is due to its tendency to form a very thin, unreactive oxide layer on its surface. In fact, this dark-grey metal would be one of the most useful elements in the periodic table if it were more abundant and not so dangerous to work with. Beryllium is the first element in Group 2, and – unlike the other alkaline earth metals (such as magnesium, calcium and strontium) – it resists interacting with most other substances. It is the second lightest metal (by atomic mass), after lithium, and it is also surprisingly unreactive compared to its elemental neighbours. The element beryllium is perhaps one of the strangest in the periodic table. Author(s): Joseph W Piergrossi, Montserrat Capellas EspunyĪs a lightweight, super-strong metal, beryllium is an engineer’s dream – but it also has some less convenient qualities. ![]()
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