Beryllium Facts
Beryllium Facts
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| Interesting Beryllium Facts: |
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| It is a hard metal, but is brittle at room temperature. |
| Beryllium salts have a sweet taste, and the element was once called glucine with a symbol of Gl due to its flavor. |
| Beryllium has a long history, having been known to the ancient Egyptians in beryl and in emeralds. |
| Its name can be traced to several languages, but most likely comes from the Sanskrit ??????? for the city of Belur. |
| In 1797, Nicholas Louis Vauquelin recognized the element in emeralds. |
| Friederich Wöhler and Antoine Bussy isolated the metal beryllium from beryl and emeralds in 1828 independently of each other. |
| Beryllium is found in the Earth's crust, but only at two to six parts per million. |
| There are trace amounts in the atmosphere and in sea water, with slightly higher concentration found in streams. |
| Beryllium is present in over 100 minerals, but is difficult to extract. |
| Beryllium is extracted from the mineral beryl and other ores for industrial uses through a complex process. |
| Mixing small amounts of beryllium with copper produces beryllium copper, which is six times stronger than copper alone. |
| Only three countries—United States, China, and Kazakhstan—currently are involved in the industrial production of beryllium. |
| Beryllium remains stiff at a low weight and is non-magnetic. |
| Its non-magnetic properties make beryllium tools ideal for fine tuning radio and radar systems. |
| Due to its properties, it has been used in making specialized tools and mirrors for guidance systems, especially for tanks and meteorological satellites. |
| Its low atomic number and low absorption of Xrays makes it perfect for use in Xray tubes. |
| Beryllium foil is used in nuclear weapons. |
| The major industry using beryllium is the military, so not much is known about its specific uses. |
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