Beryllium is a chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4.
It is a steel-gray, strong, lightweight and brittle alkaline earth metal.
It is a divalent element that occurs naturally only in combination with other elements to form minerals.
Properties
Appearance: white-gray metallic
Group: group 2 (alkaline earth metals)
Melting point: 1560 K (1287 °C, 2349 °F)
First isolation: Friedrich Wöhler & Antoine Bussy
Beryllium is the fourth element on the periodic table and the 44th most abundant element in the earth's crust.
Beryllium is two-thirds the density of aluminum.
By weight, beryllium has six times the specific stiffness of steel.
Beryllium is non-magnetic.
Main Uses :
Beryllium is a silvery-white metal.
It is relatively soft and has a low density.
Beryllium is used in alloys with copper or nickel to make gyroscopes, springs, electrical contacts, spot-welding electrodes and non-sparking tools.
What foods have beryllium?
Beryllium, as a chemical component, is found naturally in some food.
The concentration of beryllium in both raw carrots and field corn grown in the United States is less than 25 micrograms (µg) (1 µg=1 millionth of a gram) in a kilogram (kg) of the fresh vegetables.
Why is beryllium so expensive?
High-purity beryllium is expensive owing to its properties such as high stiffness, lightweight, and high elastic modulus.
Can you touch beryllium?
Beryllium Oxide is a CARCINOGEN--HANDLE WITH EXTREME CAUTION.
* Contact can cause eye irritation, redness, itching and burning. * Beryllium Oxide can irritate and burn the skin. Higher exposure may cause skin ulcers to develop.
How do you get beryllium poisoning?
Berylliosis is a form of metal poisoning caused by inhalation of beryllium dusts, vapors, or its compounds or implantation of the substance in the skin. The toxic effects of beryllium most commonly occur due to occupational exposure.
Why is beryllium very toxic?
Most likely, once in the body, beryllium combines with certain proteins, causing the release of toxic substances.
These are responsible for the lesions seen in the lungs.
Certain cells form masses of tissue called granulomas in response to beryllium.
Further Reading
https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/4/beryllium
