Beryllium Science and Technology Association
Annual worldwide production / consumption of beryllium in 2014 is estimated as 300 MT:-
The total supplied quantity of beryllium, converted and sold as commercial products (i.e. pure, alloy and Be contained in BeO ceramics), is estimated at 30,2 MT for the major European countries in 2011 :-
Beryllium annual consumption is expected to grow to 425 MT / year by 2020 and to >450 MT/year by 2030, driven by such applications as the construction of the ITER fusion reactor.
When compared to the ancient origins of metals such as gold, copper and lead, beryllium is a relative newcomer. Though beryllium was discovered in the late 18th century, its unique properties and commercial value were not recognised until the 1920s
Beryllium occurs naturally in the earth’s crust and in the air, soil and water. Every day, people are exposed naturally to extremely small amounts of beryllium by breathing the air, drinking water and eating food grown in soil.
Beryllium is also introduced into our lives through human activities. Here, the material typically ends up in a solid form that is designed into and contained within consumer or industrial products — everything from portable electronics to cell phones to industrial machinery to medical devices. In virtually all human-generated end-use applications, beryllium is enclosed within products and is not readily exposed to, or accessible to, people. In these enclosed forms, beryllium poses no special health risks.
Beryllium is usually obtained from two naturally occurring sources:
The commercial extraction of beryllium begins with the mining of raw materials The vast majority, over 95%, is obtained by mining minerals containing between 0.3 – 1.5% beryllium. In the USA Bertrandite Ore (3Be0 Al2O3 6SiO2) is mined from a deposit in Utah, where it occurs close to the surface and can be extracted in an environmentally friendly method. The earth that is removed to expose the thin deposits of Bertrandite are carefully stored and replaced in exactly the same location from where they were removed after the Bertrandite layer has been removed. Modern GPS surveying allows for accuracy within 1”, and the mine owned and operated by Materion Brush Resources Inc. receives ongoing recognition from the environmental community for its efforts to pursue sustainable mining operations that do not harm the fragile desert ecosystems or animal and human neighbors.
A small fraction of beryllium is obtained from Beryl (Be4 Si2O7 (OH)2 ), a by-product of small scale emerald gemstone mining operations in Brazil, Argentina and other countries in South America. That material contains between 3.0 – 5.0% beryllium, but it is much harder than Bertrandite, and so is more difficult to refine to beryllium. Before it can be refined, it must be melted in an electric furnace, and the molten material is dropped into a large pool of water which breaks it up into a fine powdery state called “frit”, which can be chemically processed with the Bertrandite ores.
Beryllium Metal
Copper Beryllium Alloys
a) Master Alloys, containing 3.5% Beryllium:
b) Manufacturing copper beryllium alloy shapes and product forms: