Beryllium
A commodity
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Beryllium is a toxic white-grey light metal.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
52430
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:52430:2
Properties of Beryllium
Atomic Number:
4
Atomic Weight:
9.012182(3)
Melting Point:
1560 K (1286°C, 2348°F)
Boiling Point:
2743 K (2469°C, 4477°F)
Density:
1.85 g/cm3
Beryllium in History
Although it was first discovered in 1797 by French chemist Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin, it wasn't until 1898 that Paul Lebeau produced the first pure (99.5%+) samples of beryllium.
The first commercially successful process for producing beryllium was developed in 1932.
The first commercially successful process for producing beryllium was developed in 1932.
Other Commodities associated with Beryllium *
| Commodity | Associated Localities | Total Localities | % Association (commodity) | % Association (Beryllium) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mica | 164 | 2,664 | 6.16% of all Mica deposits have Beryllium. | 20.63% of all Beryllium deposits have Mica. |
| Tantalum | 118 | 369 | 31.98% of all Tantalum deposits have Beryllium. | 14.84% of all Beryllium deposits have Tantalum. |
| Feldspar | 114 | 1,665 | 6.85% of all Feldspar deposits have Beryllium. | 14.34% of all Beryllium deposits have Feldspar. |
| Niobium (Columbium) | 97 | 383 | 25.33% of all Niobium (Columbium) deposits have Beryllium. | 12.20% of all Beryllium deposits have Niobium (Columbium). |
| Lithium | 96 | 533 | 18.01% of all Lithium deposits have Beryllium. | 12.08% of all Beryllium deposits have Lithium. |
| Tungsten | 76 | 3,361 | 2.26% of all Tungsten deposits have Beryllium. | 9.56% of all Beryllium deposits have Tungsten. |
| Uranium | 65 | 9,218 | 0.71% of all Uranium deposits have Beryllium. | 8.18% of all Beryllium deposits have Uranium. |
| Tin | 63 | 1,846 | 3.41% of all Tin deposits have Beryllium. | 7.92% of all Beryllium deposits have Tin. |
Important ores of Beryllium
Processing Beryllium
Beryllium is extracted from the beryllium silicate ore by either sintering or melting into a soluble mixutre.
The sintering process uses sodium fluorosilicate and soda at around 770 °C (1,420 °F) to create sodium fluoroberyllate which is then decomposed to beryllium hydroxide with water.
The melt process involves heating the ore to 1,650 °C (3,000 °F) and quickly cooling with water and reheating in concentrated sulfuric acid to produce beryllium sulfate, which is treated with ammonia to produce the hydroxide.
The hydroxide can be converted into the fluoride, which can then be heated with magnesium to release beryllium metal.
The sintering process uses sodium fluorosilicate and soda at around 770 °C (1,420 °F) to create sodium fluoroberyllate which is then decomposed to beryllium hydroxide with water.
The melt process involves heating the ore to 1,650 °C (3,000 °F) and quickly cooling with water and reheating in concentrated sulfuric acid to produce beryllium sulfate, which is treated with ammonia to produce the hydroxide.
The hydroxide can be converted into the fluoride, which can then be heated with magnesium to release beryllium metal.
Environmental Concerns
Although beryllium metal is toxic the silicate ores are non-toxic and do not pose any specific environmental concerns.
Crystal Structure
Load
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
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Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0020596 | commodity:Beryllium | Larsen F K, Hansen N K (1984) Diffraction study of the electron density distribution in beryllium metal Acta Crystallographica B40 169-179 |  | 1984 | Synthetic | 0 | 293 |
| 0009324 | commodity:Beryllium | Yang Y W, Coppens P (1978) The electron density and bonding in beryllium metal as studied by Fourier methods Acta Crystallographica A34 61-65 | | 1978 | synthetic | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
Internet Links for Beryllium
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-52430.html
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Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Beryllium
Reference List:
Deposits of Beryllium
Showing 795 deposits.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
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Bald Mountain, Ossipee, Carroll County, New Hampshire, USA