Berryllium

Beryllium is an important chemical element that occurs in Earth’s surface. Beryllium does not occur freely in nature, it occurs only in the combination with other elements which forms a mineral form. Generally at room temperature, Beryllium is brittle and solid element.

In this article, we learn all the important details related to Beryllium, its physical and chemical properties, uses of Beryllium.

Symbol	Be
Atomic Number	4
Atomic Mass	9.01218 g.mol-1
Group	2
Period	2
Electronic configuration	[He] 2s2
Discovered by	Nicholas Louis Vauquelin

What is Beryllium?

Beryllium is a chemical element that does not occur freely in nature, it occurs only in the combination with other elements. Beryllium exist in nature in form of compound as combination of various elements.

Most important and common types of minerals of Beryllium are Beryl (Al₂Be₃Si₆O₁₈ , Beryllium Aluminum Silicate), Bertrandite (Be₄Si₂O₇(OH)₂,Beryllium Silicate), Phenakite (Be₂SiO4), and Chrysoberyl (BeAl₂O₄). Atomic number of Beryllium is 4 and it’s symbol is Be. Beryllium is placed in group 2 in periodic table. Beryllium is highly toxic type element, at room temperature around 20°C, Beryllium occurs as solid.

French scientist Nicholas Louis Vauquelin discovered Beryllium in 1798.

Chemical Data of Beryllium

Chemical data of Beryllium of are:

Symbol	Be
Group	2 [Alkaline Earth Metal}
Period	2
Atomic Number	4
Color	Steel Grey
Block	s-block
State at Room Temperature	Solid and brittle
Melting Point	1287°C, 2349°F, 1560 K
Boiling Point	2468°C, 4474°F, 2741 K
Atomic Mass	9.01218 g.mol-1
Density (g.cm-3)	1.85
Electron Configuration	[He] 2s2
Oxidation State	+2
Critical Point	5205 K
Heat of Fusion	12.2 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization	292 kJ/mol
Molar Heat Capacity	16.443 J/(mol·K)
Isotopes	7Be, 8Be, 9Be, 10Be

Structure of Beryllium

Atomic number of Beryllium is 4. It has 4 electrons and the electron configuration is 1s²2s². Beryllium forms covalent bonds and it can exhibit ionic characteristics.

Structure of Beryllium

Properties of Beryllium

Beryllium is the lightest element of alkaline earth metal group. It has very high meting point. The chemical properties of Beryllium is similar to Aluminum. Properties of Beryllium is further classified into two types that are:

1. Physical Properties of Beryllium
2. Chemical Properties of Beryllium

Physical Properties of Beryllium

Various physical properties of Beryllium are added in table below:

State at 20oc	Solid and Brittle
Color	White grey or steel grey
Taste	Sweet
Atomic Number	4
Atomic Mass	9.01218 g.mol-1
Boiling point	2468°C / 4474°F / 2741 K
Melting point	1287°C / 2349°F / 1560 K
Density	1.85 gram per cubic centimeter
Atomic Structure	Proton = 4 Neutron = 5
Solubility	Insoluble in water Soluble in dilute acids
Conductivity of thermal	Highly Thermal Conductor [200 W/(m·K) at 25°C]
Electrical Conductivity	Good conductor of Electricity but less as compared to other metals.
Magnetic Susceptibility	-9.0·10⁻⁶ cm³/mol (diamagnetic)
Crystalline structure	Hexagonal
Specific Heat	1.82 J/(g·K) at 25°C
Young’s Modulus	287 GPa
Tensile Strength	370 MPa
Elastic Modulus	300 GPa
Reflectivity	Approximately 67% at 600 nm (Visible Light Spectrum)

Chemical Properties of Beryllium

Various chemical properties of Beryllium includes:

• Reactivity: Beryllium reacts with acids and waters at high temperatures and produces hydrogen and water.

• Flammability: When Beryllium comes to air, it reacts with oxygen and produces Beryllium oxide (BeO).

• Oxidation State: The oxidation state of beryllium is +2.

• Electron Configuration: The electron configuration of beryllium is 1s²2s². It makes covalent bonds.

• Electronegativity: The electronegativity of beryllium is relatively high. This is because of the small size of the beryllium atom.

• Various Compounds: Beryllium forms a several number of compounds. The main compounds of beryllium are beryllium oxide (BeO) and beryllium chloride (BeCl₂).

• Alloys: Beryllium does not occur in pure form naturally. Beryllium makes various types of alloys with the combination of many metals such as aluminum, copper , nickel etc. These alloys are very tough, high strength.

• Ionization Energy: Beryllium has very high ionization energy. This makes beryllium less reactive than the other metals of the same periodic group metals.

• Toxicity: Beryllium has high toxic type element. It causes lung disease.

Chemical Compounds of Beryllium

Beryllium does not occur free in nature, it forms alloys with the combination of other elements. There are several compounds of beryllium present in Earth crust. These are as follows –

• Beryllium oxide [BeO]
• Beryllium chloride [BeCl₂]
• Beryllium sulfate [BeSO₄]
• Beryllium nitrate [Be(NO₃)₂]
• Beryllium hydroxide [Be(OH)₂]
• Beryllium fluoride [BeF₂]

Isotopes of Beryllium

Isotopes	Natural Abundance	Half-Life	Mode of Decay	Significance
Be-7	Trace	53.12 days	Electron capture to Li-7	Used in radiological studies and radiological dating.
Be-8	None (synthetic)	6.7×10-17 seconds	Alpha decay to two He-4 nuclei	Used in nuclear physics.
Be-9	Easily occur.	Stable	—	Only stable isotope of beryllium.
Be-10	Trace	1.39 million years	Beta decay to B-10	Used for the dating of soils and sediments.
Be-11	None (synthetic)	13.81 seconds	Beta decay to B-11	Used in the applications of nuclear physics.
Be-12	None (synthetic)	21.49 milliseconds	Beta decay to C-12	It has importance, in nuclear physics.

Uses of Beryllium

Uses and applications of Beryllium are as follows:

• Beryllium is an alloying agent and is commonly used. This feature of Beryllium is used to make springs, spot-welding electrodes, gyroscopes, and non-sparking tools.

• Beryllium is used in nuclear application and ceramic applications because of its high melting point.

• Beryllium is enough strong and tough, so it is used as high strength and strong resistance.

• Beryllium compounds are used in lasers, high-speed computers, and microwave ovens, etc.

• Beryllium is extensively used in X-ray application.

• It is used for mirrors and lens.

Facts About Beryllium

• Beryllium is formerly known as Glucinium at the time of discovery. It was named because of the all components of Beryllium is tasted sweet and the term “glucinium” means sweet.
• We can not found the pure form of Beryllium in nature. It is found in nature as combination of other elements.
• Beryllium is well known as toxic element.

FAQs on Beryllium

What is Beryllium used for?

Beryllium is used to manufacture instruments and weapons in defense and aerospace industries.

Is beryllium harmful to humans?

Beryllium is well known as toxic element, it is very harmful to humans. It harms the skin and lung of humans. It causes cancer and pneumonia.

What color is Beryllium?

Color of beryllium is white grey type or steel grey type.

What is symbol of Beryllium?

The symbol of beryllium is Be.

Is Beryllium liquid or solid at room temperature?

At room temperature (at around 20^oC), beryllium is solid. It is brittle in room temperature.

Who discovered Beryllium?

French scientist Nicholas Louis Vauquelin discovered the beryllium in 1798. At that time Beryllium was known as “Glucinium”.