How Beryllium Got Its Name And Symbol
The name of beryllium is derived from the Greek word for beryl, beryllos. Its Greek origin is also how it got its symbol, Be, being the first two letters of Beryllos.
How And When Was Beryllium Discovered
Beryllium was discovered in 1798 by a French chemist called Louis Nicolas Vauquelin. Vauquelin found it in the oxide form in beryl and a green-colored variety of beryl, emerald. The metal was later studied in 1828 by two chemists, Friedrich Wölhler from Germany and Antoine Bussy from France, who independently reduced beryllium chloride (BeCl2) with potassium in a platinum crucible. These days, beryllium is typically obtained from the minerals beryl and bertrandite in a chemical process or through the electrolysis of a mixture of molten beryllium chloride and sodium chloride.
Chemical Properties
- Beryllium reacts with acids and with water to form hydrogen gas.
- It reacts briefly with oxygen in the air to form beryllium oxide (BeO).
- The beryllium oxide forms a thin skin on the surface of the metal that prevents the metal from reacting further with oxygen.
- When crystalline, beryllium fluoride has the same room temperature crystal structure as quartz and shares many higher temperature structures.
- It reacts briefly with oxygen in the air to form beryllium oxide (BeO).
- The beryllium oxide forms a thin skin on the surface of the metal that prevents the metal from reacting further with oxygen.
- When crystalline, beryllium fluoride has the same room temperature crystal structure as quartz and shares many higher temperature structures.
Uses For Beryllium
- Beryllium is used as an alloying agent in producing beryllium copper, which is often used in springs, electrical contacts, spot-welding electrodes, and non-sparking tools.
- It is sometimes used as a structural material for high-speed aircraft, missiles, spacecraft and communication satellites.
- Beryllium is used in nuclear reactors as a reflector as it has a low thermal neutron absorption cross section.
- Beryllium is used in gyroscopes, computer parts and other various instruments where lightness, stiffness and dimensional stability are required. The oxide has a very high melting point and is also used in nuclear work and ceramic applications.
- It is sometimes used as a structural material for high-speed aircraft, missiles, spacecraft and communication satellites.
- Beryllium is used in nuclear reactors as a reflector as it has a low thermal neutron absorption cross section.
- Beryllium is used in gyroscopes, computer parts and other various instruments where lightness, stiffness and dimensional stability are required. The oxide has a very high melting point and is also used in nuclear work and ceramic applications.