Beryllium Oxide (BeO): Neutron Moderator In Reactors, Aerospace Shielding, High-conductivity Ceramics

Beryllium oxide is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BeO, having amphoteric properties that can react with both acids and strong bases. It appears as white powder and is mainly used in beryllium oxide ceramics for high-power microwave vacuum devices and microelectronic packaging due to its extremely high melting point and excellent thermal conductivity.

Applications

1. Nuclear industry: Beryllium oxide has higher neutron scattering cross-section and moderation ratio than beryllium metal and graphite, with greater density than beryllium and excellent high-temperature strength and thermal conductivity, making it highly suitable for manufacturing reflectors, moderators and dispersion fuel matrices in reactors. It can also be used in nuclear reactors for ships and submarines.
2. Military and aerospace: Beryllium oxide's high heat capacity and thermal transfer properties make it commonly used as rocket and missile re-entry vehicle shells, rocket nozzles or refractory materials in new-generation supersonic aircraft. Its good thermal shock resistance also allows it to be made into gas turbine blades.
3. Ceramic materials: Among oxide ceramics, beryllium oxide ceramic has the best thermal conductivity, highest specific heat value, along with high strength, stiffness, melting point and dimensional stability, making it widely used in electronics industry. Common applications include electrical insulators, semiconductor devices, transistor bases and microwave antenna windows.
4. Refractory materials: Beryllium oxide has high unit resistance and strong carbon reduction resistance, making it an excellent refractory material, typically used for making induction furnace reflector screens or furnaces with tungsten heating elements. Its high heat of formation and low oxygen partial pressure make it difficult to reduce, thus also suitable for making crucibles used in uranium extraction.
5. Other fields: Beryllium oxide can also be used for special coatings to improve materials' thermal stability and corrosion resistance. For example, adding beryllium oxide to glass allows X-ray transmission for structural analysis and medical treatment. It can also form high-temperature resistant beryllium compounds with zirconium, molybdenum or other refractory metals for aircraft exterior anti-corrosion materials.

Product Series

Health and Safety Information

Signal Word	Danger
Hazard Statements	H301-H315-H317-H319-H330-H335-H350i-H372
Hazard Codes	T+
Precautionary Statements	P201-P260-P280-P284-P301+P310-P305+P351+P338
Flash Point	Not applicable
Risk Codes	49-25-26-36/37/38-43-48/23
Safety Statements	53-45
RTECS Number	DS4025000
Transport Information	UN 1566 6.1 / PGII
WGK Germany	3
GHS Pictograms

Packaging Specifications

• Standard packaging: 50 kg/drum, 500 kg/pallet, ton bags
• Sample packaging: 500 g/bag, 1 kg/bottle

About Beryllium Oxide
Considering China's mineral resource distribution characteristics, beryl, beryllium oxide concentrate, limestone and sulfuric acid are generally used as raw materials for beryllium oxide production. Currently there are three main industrial processes:

1. Sulfuric acid method: Using beryl and limestone as raw materials, after arc furnace smelting and water quenching, heating above 100°C and quickly adding concentrated sulfuric acid for acidification. The generated sulfates are leached and filtered to separate beryllium, iron, aluminum etc. into solution from silicon and calcium. After removing iron and aluminum from solution, sodium hydroxide is added for stirring, filtration, drying and calcination to obtain industrial beryllium oxide. Total recovery rate reaches about 75%.
2. Solvent extraction method: This is an improved sulfuric acid process using beryl and limestone as raw materials. After high-temperature smelting, water quenching, acidification and leaching, beryllium sulfate solution containing impurities like aluminum and iron is obtained. After extraction with extractant and back-extraction with sodium hydroxide, heating to 70°C for hydrolysis produces Be(OH)2, which is calcined at high temperature to obtain industrial beryllium oxide.
3. Fluoride method: This process reacts beryl with sodium fluorosilicate and sodium carbonate at 750°C to generate soluble sodium beryllium fluoride that separates from impurities. After filtration, adding alkali produces beryllium hydroxide precipitate, which is calcined at high temperature to obtain industrial beryllium oxide. Total recovery rate reaches about 85%.