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In article <1992Oct2.113921.2739@mtroyal.ab.ca>, dhayward@mtroyal.ab.ca writes:
|>For years I have been interested in the present and future uses of
|>Berrylium. Due to it's many spectacular properties it should be more
|>common than it is. any info?

	Be is used in nuclear reactors, I think in shut down process.
	I also heard that it's highly toxic. What are the spectacular
	properties?
	-Anis.

5916rahmank@vms.csd.mu.edu (K. M. A. Rahman) writes:

>	Be is used in nuclear reactors, I think in shut down process.

Nope.  That's cadmium or boron.  Be is sometimes used in 
sources mixed with Am-241 (called "AmBes" )as a source of neutrons
during reactor startup.  AmBes, sometimes with Pu replacing the Am,
are also used in the lab as sources of neutrons.

>	I also heard that it's highly toxic. 

Some compounds are.

>What are the spectacular properties?

Very light weight, very strong, transparent to X-rays down to very low
energies, good neutron moderator, excellent heat conductor, as an oxide, 
a very good electrical insulator while being a very good thermal 
conductor.  Be is the lightest metal with any structural use.

John
-- 
John De Armond, WD4OQC               |Interested in high performance mobility?  
Performance Engineering Magazine (TM) |
Marietta, Ga                         |Interested in high tech and computers? 
jgd@dixie.com                        |Write me about PE Magazine
Need Usenet public Access in Atlanta?  Write Me for info on Dixie.com.

In article <hwbp3dc@dixie.com>, jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond) writes:
|>5916rahmank@vms.csd.mu.edu (K. M. A. Rahman) writes:
|>
|>>	Be is used in nuclear reactors, I think in shut down process.
|>
|>Nope.  That's cadmium or boron.  Be is sometimes used in 
|>sources mixed with Am-241 (called "AmBes" )as a source of neutrons
|>during reactor startup.  AmBes, sometimes with Pu replacing the Am,
|>are also used in the lab as sources of neutrons.
|>
|>>	I also heard that it's highly toxic. 
|>
|>Some compounds are.
|>
|>>What are the spectacular properties?
|>
|>Very light weight, very strong, transparent to X-rays down to very low
|>energies, good neutron moderator, excellent heat conductor, as an oxide, 
|>a very good electrical insulator while being a very good thermal 
|>conductor.  Be is the lightest metal with any structural use.
|>
|>John
|>-- 
|>John De Armond, WD4OQC               |Interested in high performance mobility?  
|>Performance Engineering Magazine (TM) |
|>Marietta, Ga                         |Interested in high tech and computers? 
|>jgd@dixie.com                        |Write me about PE Magazine
|>Need Usenet public Access in Atlanta?  Write Me for info on Dixie.com.

	Thanks for enlightening.
	May we know something about PE magazine?

	-Anis

In article <009618DA.1AFE29C0@vms.csd.mu.edu>, 5916rahmank@vms.csd.mu.edu
(K. M. A. Rahman) wrote:
> 
> |>
> |>>	I also heard that it's highly toxic. 
> |>
> |>Some compounds are.
> |>

Actually, the dust (and hence its oxide) is extremely hazardous.  Exposure
to
Be dust leads to berylliosis.  But while the dust is toxic, the bulk metal
is
relatively safe to handle.  Any process that might lead to dust, like
machining
or corrosion, must be avoided.

> |>>What are the spectacular properties?
> |>
> |>Very light weight, very strong, transparent to X-rays down to very low
> |>energies, good neutron moderator, excellent heat conductor, as an oxide, 
> |>a very good electrical insulator while being a very good thermal 
> |>conductor.  Be is the lightest metal with any structural use.
> |>

Yes.  I have used Be for x-ray filters, x-ray windows, and ultra-light
optical
substrate.  Also, it is important as an alloying element.  And
copper-beryllium
oxide is used as the active surface in electron multipliers. 
Copper-beryllium
metal alloy is used as a spring material for ultra-high vacuum
applications.

Derrick C. Mancini
Fysiska Institutionen  -  Uppsala Universitet
Box 530  S751 21  Uppsala  Sverige
mancini@fysik.uu.se
---------------------------------------------
"Are we having fun yet?"  -  Zippy

In article <1992Oct2.113921.2739@mtroyal.ab.ca> dhayward@mtroyal.ab.ca writes:
>For years I have been interested in the present and future uses of
>Berrylium. Due to it's many spectacular properties it should be more
>common than it is. any info?


I recently read in Velo News that there is some consideration in using
Be for bicycle frames.  Only problem ----- $$$$$$$$.  But I imagine
that if there are thousands f people in the world willing to spend
thousands on Ti frames, why nopt Be?

mb

.

-- 
MaryBeth (MB) Robinson    		robinsmm@ucsu.Colorado.edu
Department of Chemistry
University of Colorado

In article <1992Oct2.113921.2739@mtroyal.ab.ca>, dhayward@mtroyal.ab.ca
wrote:
> 
> For years I have been interested in the present and future uses of
> Berrylium. Due to it's many spectacular properties it should be more
> common than it is. any info?

Be, as you know, has an excellent strength to weight ratio and specific
stiffness. At room temperature Be is 7 times stiffer than any other common
metal. It is used in the aerospace industry for mirrors, in some solar
panel applications, mounts which require exacting stiffness such as for
sensors and telescopes, and structural members requiring very high specific
stiffness. It's main drawback has been it's ductility, or lack thereof. It
is not used in fracture critical applications, unless it's properties
cannot be beat, such as some of the applications listed above.

New Be alloys are being developed with aluminum as a main alloying
ingedient in an effort to increase it's ductility. Some of the newer alloys
have ductilities up to 8 percent, which is comparable to some aluminum
alloys.

In general, I believe Be to be one of the most useful and underated metals
there is. It's hazardous nature is overated, although it is a bit
expensive.

The problem nowadays with the use of Be is it's undeserved reputation. With
greater environmental and safety concerns, people don't want anything to do
with Be.  As mentioned, it's fracture sensitivity has caused NASA to
virtually prohibit it's use unless absolutely necessary.  Strides are being
made to improve it's already outstanding properties, and I expect it's use
will increase in the future.

kevin weber  weber@jedi.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com

In article <hwbp3dc@dixie.com> jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond) writes:

> >What are the spectacular properties?

> Very light weight, very strong, transparent to X-rays down to very low
> energies, good neutron moderator, excellent heat conductor, as an oxide, 
> a very good electrical insulator while being a very good thermal 
> conductor.  Be is the lightest metal with any structural use.

     Be is also a good neutron multiplier, so the fusion community
tends to use a lot of it in their conceptual reactor designs, in order
to maximize the number of available neutrons and the resultant amount
of tritium produced by reactions with lithium.
     Lately, some of the experimental fusion devices are using it as a
coating on some of the components that interact with the plasma.  This
assures low molecular weight plasma impurities and thus reduced
radiation from the plasma.  Another positive feature of Be in this
context is its apparent gettering properties, which tend to keep the
plasma clean.  I believe the JET reactor in England uses Be coatings. 
     Also, the aerospace industries have put quite a bit of effort
into investigating the use of beryllium alloys, becaue they're so
light.  The major drawback seems to be its lack of ductility.  I could
probably dig up some references to this work if anyone was interested.
--

   jake blanchard
   university of wisconsin - madison
   nuclear engineering and engineering physics
   (608) 263-0391
   blanchar@engr.wisc.edu
   jake@nucst6.neep.wisc.edu