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So today I will tell you about such metal as beryllium.
Beryllium is located in the second group of the periodic table, above magnesium.
In nature you can find beryllium as part of emeralds, i.e. beryllium silicate.
Beryllium has a very low density, but at the same time high hardness, it is a very toxic metal, so it is best to be stored in glass ampoules.
Beryllium is a very rare element, and has a fairly high price for itself. A gram of beryllium costs about $15, the metal is obtained by recovering the beryllium fluoride with magnesium.
Externally beryllium looks like a shiny gray metal with a distinct crystalline structure. To show you some of the chemical properties of beryllium, I'll break a vial containing this metal.
Beryl crystals are so fragile that even in the vial they had to crumble into many pieces.
So to start, let's see how beryllium reacts with an alkali - sodium hydroxide.
The reaction of beryllium with the aqueous alkaline solution is accompanied by the release of hydrogen and the formation of hydroxyberryliate, as you can see the reaction progresses slowly. In the hydrochloric acid beryllium actively dissolves to form chloride beryllium and hydrogen.
By the way, beryllium compounds have a sweet taste, however I will not check it as beryllium salts are very toxic. I have many tables but only one life.
With regards to the chemical properties, beryllium resembles aluminum, if you try to set fire to a piece of beryllium, it will not burn due to the formation of a solid oxide film on the surface of the metal, also this metal has a fairly high melting point.
Beryllium is mainly used as a dopant to the various alloys. Beryllium additive greatly enhances the hardness and strength of the alloys and the corrosion resistance of surfaces for items made from these alloys.
In addition, beryllium bronze does not sparkle when being hit against a stone or metal. One of the alloys, by the way, has its own name - randol.
Due to its similarity to gold, randol is called "Gypsy gold"
Beryllium absorbs X-rays poorly, and that’s the reason why the windows of X-ray tubes are made from it.
In nuclear reactors beryllium is used for making neutron reflectors, they are used as a neutron moderator.
Beryllium oxide is the most heat-conducting of all oxides, its thermal conductivity at room temperature is higher than that of most metals and nearly all non-metals.
It serves as a high-temperature high-heat-insulating and refractory material for laboratory crucibles and in other special cases.
Now you know a little bit more about one of the other metals, if you want the series of the elements to continue please "Like" this video and subscribe to my channel to see many more new and interesting. Thank you for watching.
