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Beryllium is also considered to be carcinogenic to humans, as it is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. This condition most commonly affects individuals working in industries where beryllium is mined or processed. Those exposed, typically by inhalation of beryllium dust or fumes, are at risk of developing a chronic lung disease known as berylliosis. Is Beryllium Toxic?Įxposure to beryllium (as well as its compounds and alloys) can cause severe health problems. It also has an electronegativity value of 1.57 on the Pauling scale. Beryllium has two valence electrons and an electron configuration of 1s 22s 2, which can be shortened to 2s 2.
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It is located in Period 2, directly to the right of lithium, and occupies the s-block, which includes the alkali metals, the alkaline earth metals, and the nonmetals hydrogen and helium. Although beryllium has 12 different isotopes, beryllium-9 is its only stable isotope, containing 5 neutrons in its nucleus.īelonging to Group 2 of the periodic table, beryllium is classified as an alkaline earth metal, along with the elements magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium. Additionally, a neutral atom of beryllium has four electrons located outside the nucleus. The element beryllium has the symbol Be and atomic number 4, meaning there are 4 protons in the nucleus of a beryllium atom. The James Webb Space Telescope’s primary mirror, consisting of 18 hexagonal mirror segments made of gold-plated beryllium. It serves as a neutron reflector in fission reactors and as a plasma-facing material in fusion reactors. Beryllium often plays an important role in nuclear facilities.Some dental materials (such as crowns, bridges, and partial denture frameworks) use beryllium-containing alloys to improve castability and bond strength.This typically causes the enzymes to malfunction and can potentially lead to dire consequences. Because of its chemical similarity to magnesium, beryllium can displace magnesium from enzymes in the human body.Beryllium also has the greatest stiffness to weight ratio of any metal. The stiffness (i.e., elastic modulus) of beryllium is roughly 4 times greater than that of aluminum, 2.5 times greater than that of titanium, and 1.5 times greater than that of steel.Beryllium has an estimated crustal abundance of 2.8 milligrams per kilogram and an estimated oceanic abundance of 5.6 x 10 -6 milligrams per liter.This was mainly due to the metal’s toxicity but also because of its expensiveness (as its use may serve as an unfair advantage to higher-budget teams). The Formula One (F1) rules committee banned beryllium engine components in 2000.Aquamarine and emerald are the most precious forms of beryl, a beryllium-containing mineral with the chemical formula Be 3Al 2(SiO 3) 6.The James Webb Space Telescope, launched in December 2021 and located nearly one million miles away from the Earth, contains mirrors made of beryllium.In 1932, English physicist James Chadwick discovered the neutron while conducting an experiment with beryllium.China is the world’s second-largest producer of beryllium with 70 metric tons mined in 2021. The United States is the world’s largest producer of beryllium with approximately 170 metric tons mined in 2021.Read on to learn more about the element beryllium! Ten Interesting & Fun Facts About Beryllium Beryllium occurs naturally in over 100 different minerals and has a wide range of applications in the world today. It is also quite brittle, meaning it breaks easily under stress but tends not to deform until the moment it fractures (similar to glass or ceramic). Beryllium is a lightweight, strong, steel-gray metal. The Element Beryllium Introduction to BerylliumĪlthough you have probably learned a great deal about the periodic table over the years, you may not be very familiar with the element beryllium.