BERYLLIUM OXIDE (BEO): STRUCTURE, PROPERTIES AND USES - CHEMISTRY - 2024

The beryllium oxide (BeO) is a ceramic material, in addition to their high strength and electrical resistivity, has a driving capability of such high heat that makes part of nuclear reactors, surpassing even the metals in the latter property.

In addition to its utility as a synthetic material, it can also be found in nature, although it is rare. Its handling must be carried out with care, as it has the capacity to seriously harm human health.

Model of the crystal structure of beryllium oxide, By Ben Mills, from Wikimedia Commons

In the modern world, it has been observed how scientists associated with technology companies have carried out research to develop advanced materials for quite specialized applications, such as those that meet semiconductor materials and those of the aerospace industry.

The result of this has been the discovery of substances that, thanks to their extremely useful properties and their high durability, have given us the opportunity to move forward in time, allowing us to take our technology to higher levels.

Chemical structure

A molecule of beryllium oxide (also called "beryllium") is made up of a beryllium atom and an oxygen atom, both coordinated in a tetrahedral orientation, and crystallizes into hexagonal crystal structures called wurtzites.

These crystals have tetrahedral centers, which are occupied by Be ²⁺ and O ^2-. At high temperatures, the structure of beryllium oxide becomes of the tetragonal type.

Obtaining beryllium oxide is achieved by three methods: calcination of beryllium carbonate, dehydration of beryllium hydroxide, or by ignition of metallic beryllium. Beryllium oxide formed at high temperatures is inert in character, but can be dissolved by various compounds.

BeCO ₃ + Heat → BeO + CO ₂ (Calcination)

Be (OH) ₂ → BeO + H ₂ O (Dehydration)

2 Be + O ₂ → 2 BeO (Ignition)

Finally, beryllium oxide can be vaporized, and in this state it will be in the form of diatomic molecules.

Properties

Beryllium oxide occurs in nature as bromellite, a white mineral found in some complex manganese-iron deposits, but it is most commonly found in its synthetic form: a white amorphous solid that occurs as a powder..

Also, impurities trapped during production will give the oxide sample varied colors.

Its melting point is at 2507 ºC, its boiling point at 3900 ºC, and it has a density of 3.01 g / cm ³.

In the same way, its chemical stability is considerably high, only reacting with water vapor at temperatures close to 1000 ºC, and it can withstand carbon reduction processes and attacks by molten metals at high temperatures.

Also, its mechanical strength is decent, and it can be improved with designs and manufacture suitable for commercial uses.

Electric conductivity

Beryllium oxide is an extremely stable ceramic material, and therefore has a fairly high electrical resistivity that makes it one of the best electrical insulating materials, along with alumina.

Because of this, this material is commonly used for specialized high-frequency electrical equipment.

Thermal conductivity

Beryllium oxide has a great advantage in terms of its thermal conductivity: it is known as the second best heat conducting material among non-metals, second only to diamond, a considerably more expensive and rare material.

For metals, only copper and silver transfer heat better by conduction than beryllium oxide, making it a highly desirable material.

Due to its excellent heat conducting properties, this substance has been involved in the production of refractory materials.

Optical properties

Due to its crystalline properties, beryllium oxide is used for the application of ultraviolet transparent material in certain flat screens and photovoltaic cells.

Similarly, very high quality crystals can be produced, so these properties improve depending on the manufacturing process used.

Health risks

Beryllium oxide is a compound that must be handled with great care, since it primarily has carcinogenic properties, which have been linked to the continuous inhalation of dusts or vapors of this material.

Small particles in these oxide phases adhere to the lungs, and can lead to the formation of tumors or a disease known as berylliosis.

Berylliosis is a disease with a medium mortality rate that causes inefficient breathing, coughing, weight loss and fever, and the formation of granulomas in the lungs or other affected organs.

There are also health hazards from direct contact of beryllium oxide with the skin, as it is corrosive and irritating, and can cause damage to the skin surface and mucosa. Respiratory tract and hands must be protected when working with this material, especially in its powder form.

Applications

The uses of beryllium oxide are mainly divided into three: electronic, nuclear and other applications.

Electronic applications

The ability to transfer heat at a high level and its good electrical resistivity have made beryllium oxide of great utility as a heat sink.

Its use has been evidenced in circuits within high-capacity computers, as well as equipment that handles high currents of electricity.

Beryllium oxide is transparent to X-rays and microwaves, so it is used in windows against these types of radiation, as well as antennas, communication systems and microwave ovens.

Nuclear applications

Its ability to moderate neutrons and maintain their structure under radiation bombardment has led to beryllium oxide being involved in the construction of nuclear reactors, and can also be applied in high-temperature gas-cooled reactors.

Other apps

The low density of beryllium oxide has generated interest in the aerospace and military technology industries, as it may represent a low weight option in rocket engines and bulletproof vests.

Finally, it has been recently applied as a refractory material in metal melting in metallurgical industries.

References

1. PubChem. (sf). Beryllium Oxide. Retrieved from pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2. Reade. (sf). Beryllia / Beryllium Oxide (BeO). Recovered from reade.com
3. Research, C. (sf). Beryllium Oxide - Beryllia. Retrieved from azom.com
4. Services, NJ (sf). Beryllium Oxide. Recovered from nj.gov
5. Wikipedia. (sf). Beryllium Oxide. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org