Beryllium (Be) Fun Facts
"The Emerald Shield an incredibly strong yet lightweight hero, transparent to energy rays."
The true essence of Beryllium (Be) on the molecular frontier.
A hard, lightweight, steel-gray metal.
The precious gemstone, emerald.
Used to create the strong, lightweight hulls of spaceships in 'The Expanse'.
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Did You Know?
It is a key component of emeralds and aquamarines, which are forms of the mineral beryl.
The metal is transparent to X-rays, making it useful for creating "windows" in X-ray machines and particle detectors.
Despite its strength, inhaling beryllium dust can cause a chronic, life-threatening lung disease called berylliosis.
The James Webb Space Telescope's mirrors are made of beryllium plated with gold because it is both strong and lightweight, and holds its shape at cryogenic temperatures.
It was once known as 'glucinium' from the Greek word for 'sweet' because of the taste of its salts (which are actually very toxic).