Beryllium Oxide is a highly insoluble thermally stable Beryllium source suitable for glass, optic and ceramic applications. Beryllium oxide is a white crystalline solid also known as beryllia with a thermal conductivity second only to diamond among non-metals. Oxide compounds are not conductive to electricity. However, certain perovskite structured oxides are electronically conductive finding application in the cathode of solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen generation systems. They are compounds containing at least one oxygen anion and one metallic cation. They are typically insoluble in aqueous solutions (water) and extremely stable making them useful in ceramic structures as simple as producing clay bowls to advanced electronics and in light weight structural components in aerospace and electrochemical applications such as fuel cells in which they exhibit ionic conductivity. Metal oxide compounds are basic anhydrides and can therefore react with acids and with strong reducing agents in redox reactions. Beryllium Oxide is also available in pellets, pieces, powder, sputtering targets, tablets, and nanopowder (from American Elements' nanoscale production facilities). See Nanotechnology for more nanotechnology applications information. Beryllium Oxide is generally immediately available in most volumes. High purity, submicron and nanopowder forms may be considered.American Elements produces to many standard grades when applicable, including Mil Spec (military grade); ACS, Reagent and Technical Grade; Food, Agricultural and Pharmaceutical Grade; Optical Grade, USP and EP/BP (European Pharmacopoeia/British Pharmacopoeia)and follows applicable ASTM testing standards.Typical and custom packaging is available. See safety data and research below and pricing/lead time above. Additional technical, research and safety (MSDS) information is available.

Beryllium is a Block S, Group 2, Period 2 element. The number of electrons in each of Beryllium's shells is 2, 2 and its electronic configuration is [He] 2s². In its elemental form beryllium's CAS number is 7440-41-7. The beryllium atom has a radius of 111.3.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 200.pm. Beryllium and its salts are toxic as well as carcinogenic. Beryllium is most commonly used in alloys with our base metallic materials. As a 1 - 3% addition to copper it produces "beryllium bronze", a highly wear resistant material and with nickel it is used to make spot welder electrodes. Beryllium is available as metal and compounds with purities from 99% to 99.999% (ACS grade to ultra-high purity); metals in the form of foil, sputtering target, and rod, and compounds as submicron and nanopowder. It is used as a coating on X-ray tubes because it is transparent to the X-ray range. It emits neutrons on bombardment by alpha rays. It also has applications in the nuclear industry. Beryllium was first discovered by Abbé René-Just Hauy in 1798. The origin of the name Beryllium comes from the Greek word 'beryllos' meaning beryl. See Beryllium research below.

American Elements semi conducting materials are crystal structures produced from ultra high purity starting materials synthesized by our high purity production facility which includes several large electric muffle furnaces, a tube furnace for hydrogen reduction, 50 gallon glass-lined Pfaudler reactors supported by our analytical laboratory containing X-ray diffraction, SEM, AA, BET surface area, and ICP Spectrometry for trace metals analysis. See a discussion of American Elements Ultra High Purity and Analytical capabilities. See Crystal Growth for processes used to fabricate semiconductor materials, which include:

• Crystal "pulling" by the Czochaiski method for production of semiconductor materials
• Flux growth and gradient freeze
• Directional solidification of fluorites using both the Bridgman-Stockbarger and float zoning techniques

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