Beryllium

Our catalogue also includes Copper-Beryllium foil and wire in various quantities.

Beryllium is a toxic metal and is only found naturally, combined with other elements in minerals.  Extracting beryllium from these compounds is difficult; however one popular method involves the reduction of beryllium fluoride with magnesium.  Once reduced, beryllium has a steel grey appearance.

In its pure state, beryllium is a strong, lightweight material, with a high melting point and high temperature stability. Beryllium also has a relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion and these properties have lead to the use of beryllium in lightweight structural components in the defence and aerospace industries.  Beryllium is a highly effective moderator and reflector for neutrons and hence is used as a moderator in nuclear reactions.  Beryllium also has a relatively high transparency to X-rays and is therefore used in radiation windows for X-ray tubes.  Copper-Beryllium alloys, which typically contain up to 2.5 % beryllium have a large number of desirable properties; high strength, hardness, electrical and thermal conductivity, as well as good corrosion and fatigue resistance.  Copper-Beryllium alloys applications include springs, electrical contacts and spot-welding electrodes.

Advent Research Materials Ltd supplies Beryllium foil and Copper-Beryllium foil and wire in various quantities.

Further properties of beryllium have been outlined below:

• Beryllium Melting Point 1287 °C
• Beryllium Density 1848 kgm^-3
• Beryllium Young’s Modulus 287 GPa
• Beryllium Poisson’s Ratio 0.032
• Beryllium Electrical Resistivity 3.8 x 10^-8 Wm
• Beryllium Thermal Conductivity 190 W m^-1 K^-1