Editing Beryllium (section)

==Applications==

===Radiation windows===
[[File:Beryllium target.jpg|thumb|Beryllium target which converts a proton beam into a neutron beam]]
[[File:Be foil square.jpg|thumb|right|A square beryllium foil mounted in a steel case to be used as a window between a vacuum chamber and an [[X-ray microscope]]. Beryllium is highly transparent to X-rays owing to its low [[atomic number]].]]
Because of its low atomic number and very low absorption for X-rays, the oldest and still one of the most important applications of beryllium is in radiation windows for [[X-ray tube]]s.{{sfn|Emsley|2001|p=58}} Extreme demands are placed on purity and cleanliness of beryllium to avoid artifacts in the X-ray images. Thin beryllium foils are used as radiation windows for X-ray detectors, and their extremely low absorption minimizes the heating effects caused by high-intensity, low energy X-rays typical of [[synchrotron]] radiation. Vacuum-tight windows and beam-tubes for radiation experiments on synchrotrons are manufactured exclusively from beryllium. In scientific setups for various X-ray emission studies (e.g., [[energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy]]) the sample holder is usually made of beryllium because its emitted X-rays have much lower energies (≈100&nbsp;eV) than X-rays from most studied materials.<ref name="Behrens-2003" />

Low [[atomic number]] also makes beryllium relatively transparent to energetic [[Elementary particle|particles]]. Therefore, it is used to build the [[beamline|beam pipe]] around the collision region in [[particle physics]] setups, such as all four main detector experiments at the [[Large Hadron Collider]] ([[A Large Ion Collider Experiment|ALICE]], [[ATLAS experiment|ATLAS]], [[Compact Muon Solenoid|CMS]], [[LHCb]]),<ref>{{Cite web|title =Installation and commissioning of vacuum systems for the LHC particle detectors|publisher =CERN|first1 =R.|last1 =Veness|first2 =D.|last2 =Ramos|first3 =P.|last3 =Lepeule|first4 =A.|last4 =Rossi|first5 =G.|last5 =Schneider|first6 =S.|last6 =Blanchard|url =http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/accelconf/PAC2009/papers/mo6rfp010.pdf|access-date =13 January 2012|archive-date =14 November 2011|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20111114063409/http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/accelconf/PAC2009/papers/mo6rfp010.pdf|url-status =live}}</ref> the [[Tevatron]] and at [[SLAC]]. The low density of beryllium allows collision products to reach the surrounding detectors without significant interaction, its stiffness allows a powerful vacuum to be produced within the pipe to minimize interaction with gases, its thermal stability allows it to function correctly at temperatures of only a few degrees above [[absolute zero]], and its [[diamagnetic]] nature keeps it from interfering with the complex multipole magnet systems used to steer and [[strong focusing|focus]] the [[particle beam]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1016/S0168-9002(01)01149-4|title=A new inner vertex detector for STAR|date=2001|author=Wieman, H|journal=Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A|volume=473|issue=1–2|page=205|bibcode=2001NIMPA.473..205W|last2=Bieser|first2=F.|last3=Kleinfelder|first3=S.|last4=Matis|first4=H. S.|last5=Nevski|first5=P.|last6=Rai|first6=G.|last7=Smirnov|first7=N.|s2cid=39909027 |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc786424/m2/1/high_res_d/860449.pdf|access-date=30 October 2021|archive-date=17 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017190110/https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc786424/m2/1/high_res_d/860449.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Mechanical applications===
Because of its stiffness, light weight and dimensional stability over a wide temperature range, beryllium metal is used for lightweight structural components in the defense and [[aerospace]] industries in high-speed [[aircraft]], [[guided missile]]s, [[spacecraft]], and [[satellite]]s, including the [[James Webb Space Telescope]]. Several [[liquid-fuel rocket]]s have used [[rocket engine nozzle|rocket nozzles]] made of pure beryllium.<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IpEnvBtSfPQC&pg=PA690|title=Metals handbook|chapter=Beryllium|first=Joseph R.|last=Davis|publisher=ASM International|date=1998|isbn=978-0-87170-654-6|pages=690–691|access-date=30 October 2021|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727094719/https://books.google.com/books?id=IpEnvBtSfPQC&pg=PA690|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6fdmMuj0rNEC&pg=PA62|page=62|title=Encyclopedia of materials, parts, and finishes|author=Schwartz, Mel M.|publisher=CRC Press|date=2002|isbn=978-1-56676-661-6|access-date=30 October 2021|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727094919/https://books.google.com/books?id=6fdmMuj0rNEC&pg=PA62|url-status=live}}</ref> Beryllium powder was itself studied as a [[rocket fuel]], but this use has never materialized.{{sfn|Emsley|2001|p=58}} A small number of extreme high-end [[bicycle frame]]s have been built with beryllium.<ref name="museum">{{cite web|url=http://mombat.org/American.htm|title=Museum of Mountain Bike Art & Technology: American Bicycle Manufacturing|access-date=26 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720022521/http://mombat.org/American.htm|archive-date=20 July 2011}}</ref> From 1998 to 2000, the [[McLaren]] [[Formula One]] team used [[Mercedes-Benz]] engines with [[beryllium-aluminium alloy]] pistons.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ward|first=Wayne|title=Aluminium-Beryllium|url=http://www.ret-monitor.com/articles/967/aluminium-beryllium/?|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100801083918/http://www.ret-monitor.com/articles/967/aluminium-beryllium/|archive-date=1 August 2010|publisher=Ret-Monitor|access-date=18 July 2012}}</ref> The use of beryllium engine components was banned following a protest by [[Scuderia Ferrari]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Collantine|first=Keith|title=Banned! – Beryllium|url=http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2007/02/08/banned-beryllium/|access-date=18 July 2012|date=8 February 2007|archive-date=21 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120721090504/http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2007/02/08/banned-beryllium/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Mixing about 2.0% beryllium into [[copper]] forms an [[alloy]] called [[beryllium copper]] that is six times stronger than copper alone.<ref name="McGraw-Hill2004">{{cite book |title=Concise Encyclopedia of Chemistry |editor=Geller, Elizabeth |publisher=McGraw-Hill |location=New York City |date=2004 |isbn=978-0-07-143953-4}}</ref> Beryllium alloys are used in many applications because of their combination of elasticity, high [[electrical conductivity]] and [[thermal conductivity]], high strength and [[hardness (materials science)|hardness]], nonmagnetic properties, as well as good [[corrosion]] and [[fatigue (material)|fatigue resistance]].{{sfn|Emsley|2001|p=58}}<ref name="deGruyter" /> These applications include<!-- the making of [[spot welding]] electrodes,--> non-sparking tools that are used near flammable gases ([[beryllium nickel]]), [[spring (device)|springs]], membranes (beryllium nickel and [[beryllium iron]]) used in surgical instruments, and high temperature devices<!-- and [[electrical contact]]s-->.{{sfn|Emsley|2001|p=58}}<ref name="deGruyter" /> As little as 50 parts per million of beryllium alloyed with liquid [[magnesium]] leads to a significant increase in oxidation resistance and decrease in flammability.<ref name="deGruyter" />
[[File:Beryllium Copper Adjustable Wrench.jpg|thumb|Beryllium copper adjustable wrench]]

The high elastic stiffness of beryllium has led to its extensive use in precision instrumentation, e.g. in [[inertial guidance]] systems and in the support mechanisms for optical systems.<ref name="Behrens-2003" /> Beryllium-copper alloys were also applied as a hardening agent in "[[Needlegun scaler|Jason pistols]]", which were used to strip the paint from the hulls of ships.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1 February 2005|access-date=8 August 2009|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Defence-forces-face-rare-toxic-metal-exposure-risk/2005/02/01/1107228681666.html|title=Defence forces face rare toxic metal exposure risk|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|archive-date=30 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071230001424/http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Defence-forces-face-rare-toxic-metal-exposure-risk/2005/02/01/1107228681666.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In sound amplification systems, the speed at which sound travels directly affects the resonant frequency of the [[amplifier]], thereby influencing the range of audible high-frequency sounds. Beryllium stands out due to its exceptionally high speed of sound propagation compared to other metals.<ref>{{cite report |title=Reactor Material Specifications |publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory |date=1958 |page=227 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uSA1xJaSZO4C&dq=Beryllium+sound+propagation+compared+to+other+metals.&pg=PA227 |access-date=July 14, 2024}}</ref> This unique property allows beryllium to achieve higher resonant frequencies, making it an ideal material for use as a [[Diaphragm (acoustics)|diaphragm]] in high-quality loudspeakers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.refractorymetal.org/6-common-uses-of-beryllium/ |title=6 Common Uses Of Beryllium |website=Refractory Metals |date=28 April 2020 |access-date=July 14, 2024}}</ref>

Beryllium was used for [[cantilever]]s in high-performance [[phonograph]] cartridge styli, where its extreme stiffness and low density allowed for tracking weights to be reduced to 1 gram while still tracking high frequency passages with minimal distortion.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://pubs.shure.com/guide/V15VxMR/en-US |title=Shure V15VxMR User's Guide |page=2 |website=[[Shure]]}}</ref>

An earlier major application of beryllium was in [[brake]]s for military [[airplane]]s because of its hardness, high melting point, and exceptional ability to [[heat dissipation|dissipate heat]]. Environmental considerations have led to substitution by other materials.<ref name="Behrens-2003" />

A metal matrix composite material combining beryllium with [[aluminium]] developed under the trade name [[AlBeMet]] for the high performance aerospace industry has low weight but four times the stiffness of aluminum alone.<ref>Parsonage, T. (2000). Beryllium metal matrix composites for aerospace and commercial applications. Materials science and technology, 16(7-8), 732-738.</ref>

===Mirrors===
Large-area beryllium [[mirror]]s, frequently with a [[honeycomb mirror|honeycomb support structure]], are used, for example, in [[meteorological satellite]]s where low weight and long-term dimensional stability are critical. Smaller beryllium mirrors are used in [[optical guidance]] systems and in [[fire-control system]]s, e.g. in the German-made [[Leopard 1]] and [[Leopard 2]] [[main battle tank]]s. In these systems, very rapid movement of the mirror is required, which again dictates low mass and high rigidity. Usually the beryllium mirror is coated with hard [[electroless nickel plating]] which can be more easily polished to a finer optical finish than beryllium. In some applications, the beryllium blank is polished without any coating. This is particularly applicable to [[cryogenic]] operation where thermal expansion mismatch can cause the coating to buckle.<ref name="Behrens-2003" />

The [[James Webb Space Telescope]] has 18 hexagonal beryllium sections for its mirrors, each plated with a thin layer of gold.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.quantamagazine.org/why-nasas-james-webb-space-telescope-matters-so-much-20211203|title=The Webb Space Telescope Will Rewrite Cosmic History. If It Works.|date=3 December 2021|access-date=5 December 2021|publisher=Quanta Magazine|archive-date=5 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205004057/https://www.quantamagazine.org/why-nasas-james-webb-space-telescope-matters-so-much-20211203/|url-status=live}}</ref> Because JWST will face a temperature of 33 K, the mirror is made of gold-plated beryllium, which is capable of handling extreme cold better than glass. Beryllium contracts and deforms less than glass and remains more uniform in such temperatures.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=The James Webb Space Telescope|first=Jonathan P.|last=Gardner|date=2007|journal=Proceedings of Science|volume=52 |url=http://pos.sissa.it/archive/conferences/052/005/MRU_005.pdf|bibcode=2007mru..confE...5G|page=5|doi=10.22323/1.052.0005 |s2cid=261976160 |access-date=15 January 2009|archive-date=4 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604034944/http://pos.sissa.it/archive/conferences/052/005/MRU_005.pdf|url-status=live |doi-access=free }}</ref> For the same reason, the optics of the [[Spitzer Space Telescope]] are entirely built of beryllium metal.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=The Spitzer Space Telescope Mission|arxiv=astro-ph/0406223|journal=Astrophysical Journal Supplement|date=2004|doi=10.1086/422992|volume=154|issue=1|pages=1–9|last1=Werner|first1=M. W.|last2=Roellig|first2=T. L.|last3=Low|first3=F. J.|last4=Rieke|first4=G. H.|last5=Rieke|first5=M.|last6=Hoffmann|first6=W. F.|last7=Young|first7=E.|last8=Houck|first8=J. R.|last9=Brandl|first9=B.|bibcode=2004ApJS..154....1W|s2cid=119379934|display-authors=8}}</ref>

===Magnetic applications===
[[File:BERYLLIUM - KUGEL 1.JPG|thumb|A hollow beryllium sphere used in a [[gyrocompass]] of the [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress]] aircraft<ref>[[Theodore Gray|Gray, Theodore]]. [https://periodictable.com/Items/004.7/index.html Gyroscope sphere. An example of the element Beryllium] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414085028/https://periodictable.com/Items/004.7/index.html |date=14 April 2021 }}. periodictable.com</ref>]]

Beryllium is non-magnetic. Therefore, tools fabricated out of beryllium-based materials are used by naval or military [[explosive ordnance disposal]] teams for work on or near [[naval mine]]s, since these mines commonly have [[fuze|magnetic fuzes]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0263919|title=The selection of low-magnetic alloys for EOD tools|publisher=Naval Weapons Plant Washington DC|author=Kojola, Kenneth|author2=Lurie, William|date=9 August 1961|access-date=28 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823130608/http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0263919|archive-date=23 August 2011}}</ref> They are also found in maintenance and construction materials near [[magnetic resonance imaging]] (MRI) machines because of the high magnetic fields generated.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EqtlqFNkWwQC&pg=PT891|page=891|title=Understanding anesthesia equipment|author=Dorsch, Jerry A.|author2=Dorsch, Susan E.|name-list-style=amp|publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins|date=2007|isbn=978-0-7817-7603-5|access-date=30 October 2021|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727101243/https://books.google.com/books?id=EqtlqFNkWwQC&pg=PT891|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Nuclear applications===
High purity beryllium can be used in nuclear reactors as a moderator,<ref>{{Citation |last=Sicius |first=Hermann |title=Alkaline Earth Metals: Elements of the Second Main Group |date=2024 |work=Handbook of the Chemical Elements |pages=77–139 |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-662-68921-9_2 |access-date=2025-03-05 |place=Berlin, Heidelberg |publisher=Springer Berlin Heidelberg |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-662-68921-9_2 |isbn=978-3-662-68920-2}}</ref> reflector, or as cladding on fuel elements.<ref>Beeston, J. M. (1971). Beryllium metal as a neutron moderator and reflector material. Nuclear engineering and design, 14(3), 445-474.</ref><ref>A. Tomberlin T. (2004). Beryllium-a unique material in nuclear applications. Idaho Falls, ID: Idaho National Laboratory.</ref>
Thin plates or foils of beryllium are sometimes used in [[nuclear weapon design]]s as the very outer layer of the [[plutonium pit]]s in the primary stages of [[thermonuclear bomb]]s, placed to surround the [[fissile]] material. These layers of beryllium are good "pushers" for the [[implosion (mechanical process)|implosion]] of the [[plutonium-239]], and they are good [[neutron reflector]]s, just as in beryllium-moderated [[nuclear reactors]].<ref name="weapons" />

Beryllium is commonly used in some [[neutron source]]s in laboratory devices in which relatively few neutrons are needed (rather than having to use a nuclear reactor or a [[particle accelerator]]-powered [[neutron generator]]). For this purpose, a target of beryllium-9 is bombarded with energetic alpha particles from a [[radioisotope]] such as [[polonium]]-210, [[radium]]-226, [[plutonium]]-238, or [[americium]]-241. In the nuclear reaction that occurs, a beryllium nucleus is [[Nuclear transmutation|transmuted]] into carbon-12, and one free neutron is emitted, traveling in about the same direction as the alpha particle was heading. Such [[alpha decay]]-driven beryllium neutron sources, named [[Modulated neutron initiator|"urchin"]] neutron initiators, were used in some early [[atomic bomb]]s.<ref name="weapons">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yTIOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA35|page=35|title=How nuclear weapons spread|author=Barnaby, Frank|publisher=Routledge|date=1993|isbn=978-0-415-07674-6|access-date=30 October 2021|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727094353/https://books.google.com/books?id=yTIOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA35|url-status=live}}</ref> Neutron sources in which beryllium is bombarded with [[gamma ray]]s from a [[gamma decay]] radioisotope are also used to produce laboratory neutrons.<ref name="Byrne-2011">Byrne, J. ''Neutrons, Nuclei, and Matter'', Dover Publications, Mineola, NY, 2011, {{ISBN|0-486-48238-3}}, pp. 32–33.</ref>

[[File:CANDU fuel bundles.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.6|Two CANDU fuel bundles: Each about 50&nbsp;cm in length and 10&nbsp;cm in diameter. Notice the small appendages on the fuel clad surfaces]]

Beryllium is used in fuel fabrication for [[CANDU]] reactors. The fuel elements have small appendages that are resistance brazed to the fuel cladding using an induction brazing process with Be as the braze filler material. Bearing pads are brazed in place to prevent contact between the fuel bundle and the pressure tube containing it, and inter-element spacer pads are brazed on to prevent element to element contact.<ref>Harmsen, J. G., Lewis, B. J., Pant, A., & Thompson, W. T. (2010, October). Beryllium brazing considerations in CANDU fuel bundle manufacture. In Proceedings of the Eleventh Conference on CANDU Fuel, Niagara Falls, ON (pp. 1-12).</ref>

Beryllium is used at the [[Joint European Torus]] [[nuclear fusion|nuclear-fusion research laboratory]], and it will be used in the more advanced [[ITER]] to condition the components which face the plasma.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ngHTkC8hG8C&pg=PA15|page=15|title=Nuclear fusion research|author=Clark, R. E. H.|author2=Reiter, D.|publisher=Springer|date=2005|isbn=978-3-540-23038-0|access-date=30 October 2021|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727091926/https://books.google.com/books?id=9ngHTkC8hG8C&pg=PA15|url-status=live}}</ref> Beryllium has been proposed as a [[Cladding (nuclear fuel)|cladding]] material for [[nuclear fuel rod]]s, because of its good combination of mechanical, chemical, and nuclear properties.<ref name="Behrens-2003" /> [[Beryllium fluoride]] is one of the constituent salts of the eutectic salt mixture [[FLiBe]], which is used as a solvent, moderator and coolant in many hypothetical [[molten salt reactor]] designs, including the [[liquid fluoride thorium reactor]] (LFTR).<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.fusengdes.2005.08.101|title=JUPITER-II molten salt Flibe research: An update on tritium, mobilization and redox chemistry experiments|date=2006|last1=Petti|first1=D.|last2=Smolik|first2=G.|last3=Simpson|first3=M.|last4=Sharpe|first4=J.|last5=Anderl|first5=R.|last6=Fukada|first6=S.|last7=Hatano|first7=Y.|last8=Hara|first8=M.|last9=Oya|first9=Y.|journal=[[Fusion Engineering and Design]]|volume=81|page=1439|issue=8–14|bibcode=2006FusED..81.1439P |osti=911741|display-authors=8|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc885108/|access-date=30 October 2021|archive-date=26 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426171553/https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc885108/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Acoustics===
The low weight and high rigidity of beryllium make it useful as a material for high-frequency [[speaker driver]]s. Because beryllium is expensive (many times more than [[titanium]]), hard to shape due to its brittleness, and toxic if mishandled, beryllium [[tweeter]]s are limited to high-end home,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.scan-speak.dk/news/20100429a.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192100/http://www.scan-speak.dk/news/20100429a.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016 |publisher=Scan Speak|date=May 2010|title=Scan Speak offers Be tweeters to OEMs and Do-It-Yourselfers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/speakers/232-usher-be-718-bookshelf-speakers-with-beryllium-tweeters.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613202401/http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/speakers/232-usher-be-718-bookshelf-speakers-with-beryllium-tweeters.html|archive-date=13 June 2011|first=John E. Jr.|last=Johnson|date=12 November 2007|access-date =18 September 2008|title=Usher Be-718 Bookshelf Speakers with Beryllium Tweeters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.krksys.com/krk-studio-monitor-speakers/expose.html|publisher=KRK Systems|access-date=12 February 2009|title=Exposé E8B studio monitor|archive-date=10 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410205303/http://www.krksys.com/krk-studio-monitor-speakers/expose.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[pro audio]], and [[public address]] applications.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.focalprofessional.com/en/technologies/index.php#tabs-2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121231000340/http://www.focalprofessional.com/en/technologies/index.php#tabs-2|archive-date=31 December 2012|title=Beryllium use in pro audio Focal speakers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|work=VUE Audiotechnik |url=http://www.vueaudio.com/press/|access-date=21 May 2012|title=VUE Audio announces use of Be in Pro Audio loudspeakers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510155255/http://www.vueaudio.com/press/|archive-date=10 May 2012}}</ref> Some high-fidelity products have been fraudulently claimed to be made of the material.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/45957370/BRUSH-WELLMAN |first=Mark |last=Svilar |date=8 January 2004 |access-date=13 February 2009 |title=Analysis of "Beryllium" Speaker Dome and Cone Obtained from China |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517084140/http://www.docstoc.com/docs/45957370/BRUSH-WELLMAN |archive-date=17 May 2013 }}</ref>

Some high-end [[Magnetic cartridge|phonograph cartridges]] used beryllium cantilevers to improve tracking by reducing mass.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cdn.shure.com/user_guide/upload/2221/v15vxmr-user-guide-english.pdf|access-date=31 May 2017|title=Shure V15 VXmR User Guide|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110184904/http://cdn.shure.com/user_guide/upload/2221/v15vxmr-user-guide-english.pdf|archive-date=10 January 2017}}</ref>

===Electronic===
Beryllium is a [[p-type semiconductor|p-type]] [[dopant]] in [[List of semiconductor materials|III-V compound semiconductors]]. It is widely used in materials such as [[gallium arsenide|GaAs]], [[AlGaAs]], [[InGaAs]] and [[InAlAs]] grown by [[molecular beam epitaxy]] (MBE).<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oJs6nK3TZrwC&pg=PA104|page=104|title=High-power diode lasers|author=Diehl, Roland|publisher=Springer|date=2000|isbn=978-3-540-66693-6|access-date=30 October 2021|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727094835/https://books.google.com/books?id=oJs6nK3TZrwC&pg=PA104|url-status=live}}</ref> Cross-rolled beryllium sheet is an excellent structural support for [[printed circuit board]]s in [[surface-mount technology]]. In critical electronic applications, beryllium is both a structural support and [[heat sink]]. The application also requires a coefficient of [[thermal expansion]] that is well matched to the alumina and [[glass-reinforced plastic|polyimide-glass]] [[Substrate (materials science)|substrates]]. The beryllium-beryllium oxide [[metal matrix composite|composite]] "[[E-Material]]s" have been specially designed for these electronic applications and have the additional advantage that the thermal expansion coefficient can be tailored to match diverse substrate materials.<ref name="Behrens-2003" />

[[Beryllium oxide]] is useful for many applications that require the combined properties of an [[electrical insulator]] and an excellent heat conductor, with high strength and hardness and a very high melting point. Beryllium oxide is frequently used as an insulator base plate in [[power semiconductor device|high-power]] [[transistor]]s in [[radio frequency]] [[transmitter]]s for telecommunications. Beryllium oxide is being studied for use in increasing the [[thermal conductivity]] of [[uranium dioxide]] [[nuclear fuel]] pellets.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.purdue.edu/uns/html4ever/2005/050927.Solomon.nuclear.html|date=27 September 2005|title=Purdue engineers create safer, more efficient nuclear fuel, model its performance|publisher=Purdue University|access-date=18 September 2008|archive-date=27 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527141643/http://www.purdue.edu/uns/html4ever/2005/050927.Solomon.nuclear.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Beryllium compounds were used in [[fluorescent light]]ing tubes, but this use was discontinued because of the disease [[berylliosis]] which developed in the workers who were making the tubes.<ref>{{Cite book|pages=30–33|author=Breslin AJ|chapter=Ch. 3. Exposures and Patterns of Disease in the Beryllium Industry|isbn=978-0-12-671850-8|title=Beryllium: Its Industrial Hygiene Aspects|editor=Stokinger, HE |publisher=Academic Press, New York|date=1966}}</ref>

===Medical applications===
Beryllium is a component of several [[Dental material|dental alloys]].<ref>OSHA Hazard Information Bulletin HIB 02-04-19 (rev. 05-14-02) [https://web.archive.org/web/20161012071826/https://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib20020419.html Preventing Adverse Health Effects From Exposure to Beryllium in Dental Laboratories]</ref><ref name="ElshahawyWatanabe2014">{{cite journal|last1=Elshahawy|first1=W.|last2=Watanabe|first2=I.|title=Biocompatibility of dental alloys used in dental fixed prosthodontics|journal=Tanta Dental Journal|volume=11|issue=2|year=2014|pages=150–159|doi=10.1016/j.tdj.2014.07.005|doi-access=free}}</ref> Beryllium is used in X-ray windows because it is transparent to X-rays, allowing for clearer and more efficient imaging.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.esrf.fr/home/UsersAndScience/Experiments/StructMaterials/BM05/BeamlineGuide/OpticsHutch/Be_windows.html#:~:text=The%20purpose%20of%20the%20beryllium,small%20way%20by%20passing%20through. |title=Beryllium Windows |website=European Synchrotron Radiation Facility |access-date=Sep 15, 2024}}</ref> In medical imaging equipment, such as CT scanners and mammography machines, beryllium's strength and light weight enhance durability and performance.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zheng |first1=Li |last2=Wang |first2=Xiao |year=2020 |title=Progress in the Application of Rare Light Metal Beryllium |journal=Materials Science Forum |volume=977 |pages=261–271 |doi=10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.977.261}}</ref> Beryllium is used in analytical equipment for blood, HIV, and other diseases.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.refractorymetal.org/beryllium-foil/ |title=Beryllium Foil |website=Refractory Metals |access-date=Sep 15, 2024}}</ref> Beryllium alloys are used in surgical instruments, optical mirrors, and laser systems for medical treatments.<ref>{{cite book |last=Minnath |first=Mehar |year=2018 |title=Fundamental Biomaterials: Metals |publisher=Woodhead Publishing |editor-last=Balakrishnan |editor-first=Preetha |edition=1st |isbn=978-0081022054 |chapter=7 - Metals and alloys for biomedical applications |pages=167–174 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-08-102205-4.00007-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Maksimov |first=O. |year=2005 |title=Berryllium chalogenide alloys for visible light emitting and laser diode |journal=Rev.Adv.Mater.Sc |volume=9 |pages=178–183 |url=https://www.ipme.ru/e-journals/RAMS/no_2905/maksimov.pdf |access-date=Sep 15, 2024}}</ref>