Blog Question

Beryllium is produced by extraction from beryl, however it is very difficult to extract since beryllium has a high attraction to oxygen. It is prepared by reducing beryllium fluoride with magnesium metal. Beryllium has many uses including springs, materials in crafting space shuttles, x-rays, computer parts, as well as others. It was discovered in 1798 by a man named Louis Nicholas Vauquelin from France. Beryllium has a melting point of 1287+/-5°C, boiling point of 2970°C, specific gravity of 1.848 (20°C), and valence of 2. The metal is steel-gray in color, very light, with one of the highest melting points of the light metals. Its modulus of elasticity is a third higher than that of steel. Beryllium has high thermal conductivity, is nonmagnetic, and resists attack by concentrated nitric acid. Beryllium resists oxidation in air at ordinary temperatures. The metal has a high permeability to x-radiation. When bombarded by alpha particles, it yields neutrons in the ratio of approximately 30 million neutrons per million alpha particles. Beryllium and its compounds are toxic and should not be tasted to verify the metal's sweetness.Beryllium has good properties for uses like springs and materials used in spacecrafts since it has a high resistance to corrosion and doesn't usually react with many elements. Beryllium is very chemically similar to aluminum but not as similar to other elements so aluminum would be the best replacement if one was ever needed. Beryllium is the most abundant in the United States, China, Mozambique, and Kazakhstan. It is usually found in up to 30 mineral species so the production needs are met for it's uses.