Beryllium found in Nature

Beryllium is found in minerals such as Beryl Chrysoberyl, and Phenacite. It can be found in the ocean, earths crust, plants, and even humans. There is an estimated amount of 400000 ton on the earth. Currently we are mining it at a rate of 364 tons per a year. The Main mining camps are in Brazil, USA, Madagascar, Germany, Russia, and India.

Discovery of Beryllium

Beryllium was discovered by Nicholas Louis Vauquelin in 1797, but was not isolated into its pure self until the 1800s. It is one element that has been know for hundreds of years but it was not until they went through the process of reducing beryllium chloride (BeCl ), with potassium in a platinum crucible that they discovered it be itself. It got its name after the Greek word “berylos” which means sweet. It is called this because of its taste( WARNING, do not eat)

Physical Properties of Beryllium

Physical Properties-
· atomic number = 4
· atomic mass =9.012182 (amu)
· density = 1.848 g/cm^3
· melting point = 1287 C
· boiling point =2468 C
· state of matter = Solid
· color = gray, white
· specific heat = 1.824 J/g *C
· Ionic radius = .35A
· Electrons (with no charge) = 4
· Atomic volume = 5cm3/mol
· Flammability class = non combustible solid
· Description = strong, hard, gray white metal, lightest rigid metal

Dangers Common with Beryllium

Beryllium, although useful is quite dangerous. It is not only dangerous to the people who work in direct contact with it but for those who work around it such as employes in other parts of the building. This could be someone as simple as a tile cleaner. It is dangerous to breath which is how most of the people are infected. It can be passed on by simple dust on ones shoes. The most common disease associated with it is Chronic Beryllium Disease. Symptom are fatigue, lung cancer, shortness of breath, and rashes. There is no cure to the sometimes faital disease. The only treatment is to take steroids which can cause their own sets of problems. To help compensate for the medical bills the government pays $150000 to anyone inffected.

Common Uses

Beryllium is a element that is used in many things in todays high tech world. One very important way it is being used is in space shuttles. Because of its light weight an ablility to absorb large amounts of heat, it works perfectly with the outfit for a shuttle. Beryllium has one of the highest melting points of all the metals. Not only is it good for with standing the extream heat of the launches and the atmosphere, but it also acts as a strenghener to other metals in the aircraft.