Beryllium was discovered in France in 1798 in the form of emerald and beryl oxide. Later, the metal was isolated in 1828 through the reaction of beryllium chloride with potassium. This element is toxic, bivalent and alkaline-earth. Its color is gray.
Beryllium is found in 30 different minerals, the most important being bertrandite and beryl. Both are major sources of phenakite, chrysoberyl and commercial beryllium. Currently, a large part of this metal is obtained by the reduction of beryllium fluoride with magnesium. Precious forms of this element are emerald and aquamarine.
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Uses and Applications of Beryllium
- Adding 2% beryllium to copper creates a non-magnetic alloy that is 6 times stronger than copper.
- These types of alloys have many applications in the tooling industry as they do not create sparks, such as important components of precision instruments, critical moving parts of aircraft, electrical developers, mechanical computers and camera shutters.
- Copper and beryllium wrenches, hammers and other tools are used in oil refineries and factories where a spark from steel parts can cause a fire or explosion.
- Beryllium is used in various ways in nuclear energy because it is one of the most effective materials for minimizing the speed of neutrons and also for reflecting them. For this reason, it is used in alloys with combustion elements and in the construction of nuclear reactors as a support and moderator.
- To diagnose using X-rays, thin sheets of beryllium are used to filter visible radiation. Also in X-ray lithography to reproduce integrated circuits.
- It is an alloying element used in beryllium and copper type with multiple applications.
- Thanks to its lightness, rigidity and dimensional stability, it is used to build different devices such as computer equipment, gyroscopes, various instruments and clock springs.
- It is a neutron moderator used in nuclear reactors.
- It is used in the manufacture of tweeters that have high-end class speakers thanks to its high rigidity.
- Beryllium oxide is used when increased mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, electrical insulation and melting point are required.
- In ancient times, beryllium compounds were used in fluorescent tubes, but they fell into disuse due to beryllium disease.
Health Uses of Beryllium
Beryllium is not an important element for humans but is one of the most toxic known to date. Using this metal can be very harmful when inhaled as it can cause pneumonia and damage the lungs. The best known effect of beryllium is berylliosis.
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Beryllium can also cause allergic reactions in people with chemical sensitivities. These reactions can be very serious and can cause a person to develop a serious condition called chronic beryllium disease. Its symptoms are fatigue, weakness and breathing problems.
Some people with this disease may suffer from anorexia of the feet and hands and have a blue tint. In the worst case, it can lead to death. Beryllium use may also increase the risk of DNA damage and cancer in certain parts of the body.
Video: What is Beryllium used for?
Electron configuration of beryllium
Using the Möeller diagram, the Electron configuration of the elements can be known. Taking into account that the S sublevel has a maximum of 2 electrons, the P has 6, the D is composed of 10 and the F reaches up to 14; then we have as result the Electron configuration of beryllium in its complete version 1s2 2s2 and in abbreviated form [He] 2s2.
The atomic number of this element is 4. If it is neutral, its atomic number will be equal to the number of electrons it has. This is why the neutral state corresponding to beryllium has 4 electrons.
