Page 41 - The Periodic Table Book

Uses LOUIS NICOLAS VAUQUELIN

Beryllium was discovered
in 1798 by the French
chemist Louis Nicolas
Apache attack
Vauquelin. He extracted
helicopter Beryllium
alloy window the pure metal from
emerald, which is a
valuable green form of
the mineral beryl. He had
already discovered the
element chromium, which Alkaline Earth Metals
is also found in emerald
Fire sprinkler and gives it its green colour.

These beryllium mirror This beryllium pipe
segments will not contract delivers beams of protons
in the cold of space. into this device.

This seal made
of a beryllium-
nickel alloy is
strong enough to
stop high-pressure
water supply
leaking through.

ATLAS, a device at
the Large Hadron
James Webb Space Telescope
Collider, CERN,
Switzerland
This airbag is triggered by a
sensor that contains beryllium. Brake disc

Airbag
This beryllium
disc can withstand
higher temperatures
than a disc made
of aluminium.

of beryllium-rich glass to shield optical sensors that trigger airbags. NASA’s James
sensors to aid pilots flying at night or through Webb Space Telescope will use a large
fog. Objects made of this metal keep their beryllium mirror that is light and strong. Beryllium
shape well and hardly expand or contract if is also used to make brake discs for racing
the temperature changes. This makes beryllium cars. Alloys of beryllium and copper are used
useful in valves for fire sprinklers and car in springs as well. 39

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