Beryllium Project
BERYLLIUM
Beryllium is a hard and brittle alkaline earth metal, which is greyish in colour, and an excellent thermal and electrical conductor. The melting point of beryllium is 1278°C, the boiling point is 2970°C. There is a fine layer of beryllium oxide covering it’s surface so it will not react with water or steam. However, it will react with oxygen when heated to around 600°C. Beryllium originally named glucinium, which derives from the Greek word “glykys”, which means sweet. This is because beryllium has a sweet taste. Also, beryllium has a hexagonal crystal shape.
Beryllium has many uses in the world today. Beryllium alloys are used as a structural material for high performance aircraft, missiles, spacecraft, and communication satellites. There are many more uses for it, such as x-ray windows, gyroscopes, computer equipment, watch springs and instruments that require the features of beryllium.
The most common mineral containing beryllium is beryl. It is a silicate mineral. Beryl has distinct hexagonal prisms. It is found in granite pegmatite. Emerald, aquamarine, heliodor, and morganite are a few examples of types of coloured beryl. The United States of America make up nearly 2 thirds of the worlds supple of beryllium, and Russia produces most of the rest. Because beryllium is not found in our bodies, it can have harmful and even fatal effects on us humans. Beryllium and is toxic and should be handled with great care. Beryllium is known carcinogen that causes lung cancer, and being exposed to beryllium in the air may make you become sensitive to beryllium and even develop chronic beryllium disease, pneumonia, and permanent and sometimes lethal scarring of the lungs.
Beryllium enters the air, water and soil as a product of natural processes and human activities. It happens naturally in the environment in little amounts. Beryllium exists in the air as small dust particles. It enters waterways as rocks erode. Beryllium
Beryllium is a hard and brittle alkaline earth metal, which is greyish in colour, and an excellent thermal and electrical conductor. The melting point of beryllium is 1278°C, the boiling point is 2970°C. There is a fine layer of beryllium oxide covering it’s surface so it will not react with water or steam. However, it will react with oxygen when heated to around 600°C. Beryllium originally named glucinium, which derives from the Greek word “glykys”, which means sweet. This is because beryllium has a sweet taste. Also, beryllium has a hexagonal crystal shape.
Beryllium has many uses in the world today. Beryllium alloys are used as a structural material for high performance aircraft, missiles, spacecraft, and communication satellites. There are many more uses for it, such as x-ray windows, gyroscopes, computer equipment, watch springs and instruments that require the features of beryllium.
The most common mineral containing beryllium is beryl. It is a silicate mineral. Beryl has distinct hexagonal prisms. It is found in granite pegmatite. Emerald, aquamarine, heliodor, and morganite are a few examples of types of coloured beryl. The United States of America make up nearly 2 thirds of the worlds supple of beryllium, and Russia produces most of the rest. Because beryllium is not found in our bodies, it can have harmful and even fatal effects on us humans. Beryllium and is toxic and should be handled with great care. Beryllium is known carcinogen that causes lung cancer, and being exposed to beryllium in the air may make you become sensitive to beryllium and even develop chronic beryllium disease, pneumonia, and permanent and sometimes lethal scarring of the lungs.
Beryllium enters the air, water and soil as a product of natural processes and human activities. It happens naturally in the environment in little amounts. Beryllium exists in the air as small dust particles. It enters waterways as rocks erode. Beryllium
Bibliography: “Beryllium Statistics and Information”. USGS. http://www.minerals.usgs.gov. 01/11/10. “Beryllium: Uses”. WebElements. http://www.webelements.com. 02/11/10. “Beryl/Beryllium”. Mineral Information Institute. http://www.mii.org. 03/11/10. “Beryllium”. United States Department of Labour. http://www.dol.gov. 04/11/10. “Beryllium-Be”. Lenntech. http://www.lenntech.com. 04/11/10. Suanders, Nigel. 2003. Calcium and the Alkaline Earth Metals. Heinemann Library: Chicago, Illinois.