Beryllium, Beryllium Alloys and the Theoretical Principles Affecting Alloy Formation with Beryllium

Beryllium, though of increasing application in the metallurgical and electrical industries, must still be classed as a relatively uncommon element. This would appear to be chiefly because no large scale application of the metal has yet been made; most commercial applications involve the addition of small amounts of beryllium to other metals, notably copper. If a large scale use for beryllium were to be discovered, there would be little difficulty in the production of sufficient metal to fulfil a reasonable .demand. Its ores are widespread, but unfortunately are seldom found in heavy local concentrations. The processing of these ores is somewhat difficult on a commercial scale, but not prohibitively so. Extensive researches have been made on these problems, because of the incentive given by the exceptional “lightness” of beryllium, its high melting point and particularly, by its high modulus of elasticity.