Beryllium oxide

Berylla

White, odorless solid

Fixed

3.01 g · cm -3

2575 ° C

About 3900 ° C

Insoluble in water

Risk

Not determined, as carcinogenic

-609.4 KJ / mol

Template: Infobox chemical / molecular formula search is not possible

Beryllium oxide ( BeO, also: beryllia ), the metal oxide of the chemical element, and a Beryllium highly toxic material which is used, inter alia, as a ceramic material.

Since beryllium oxide ceramics extremely well with 300 W / m · K conducts heat at room temperature and to electrically well insulated, it is used among other things in thermocouple protection tubes, crucibles, spark plugs, in electronics as a heat sink for semiconductor devices and in reactor technology. As stoichiometrically together with alumina and doped with chromium cultured single crystal beryllium oxide is used under the name as Alexandrite solid state laser material in medicine, which emits at a wavelength of 755 nm.

Due to its toxicity, the use is restricted. The processing of the material is strictly controlled due to toxicity in 30 years, beryllium -containing components must be identified. In many areas it is replaced by the non-toxic boron nitride or aluminum, which conducts heat well also and is electrically insulating.

Commercial beryllium oxide has been produced for over 50 years. It has in addition to the properties mentioned above a very high hardness and is at a relatively low density of very impact resistant.

Beryllium oxide is particularly attacked by concentrated acids. It is, in contrast to other alkaline earth metal oxides, due to the small size of the ion, a wurtzite type structure.

Occurrence

Beryllium comes naturally as the mineral and is then called Bromellite. It is found in Långban / Sweden.