ABSTRACT
Beryllium is one of the lighter elements, it is only the 44th most abundant element in the earth's crust. Therefore there are only a few economic ore bodies for extraction of the element. Historically beryllium has been produced from several sources. The principal minerals are beryl and bertrandite. Beryllium has a hexagonal close-packed crystal structure with an axial ratio of 1.568. To improve ductility of the metal the powder metallurgical route is required to produce a metal with appreciable mechanical properties. Beryllium has exceptional nuclear properties. It is both a moderator and a neutron reflector. Pitting of beryllium is normally found associated with local regions on the metal surface which sustain a cathodic reaction, normally the reduction of oxygen once corrosion is underway. Beryllium has some exceptional properties, particularly concerning its strength to weight ratio, its stiffness to weight ratio and its desirable nuclear properties.
