Beryllium

Beryllium • Alkaline Earth Metal

Primary XPS region: Be1s
Overlapping regions: Cu3s, Ni3s, Au5s
Binding energies of common chemical states:

Chemical state	Binding energy Be1s
Cu_xBe_y, as received	113.3 eV
Cu_xBe_y,Ar⁺ cleaned	112.5 eV

Experimental information

The Be1s peak has very low sensitivity.
- Use large number (50) of scans when acquiring Be1s spectrum.

Interpretation of XPS spectra

There are no beryllium secondary peaks to assist in confirmation.
- It is difficult to confidently assign Be1s peak for low concentrations.

‹Alkaline Earth Metal Elements

Table of Elements

About this element

Symbol: Be
Date of discovery: 1798
Name origin: mineral beryl
Appearance: gray
Discoverer: Nicholas Louis Vauquelin
Obtained from: beryl, chrysoberyl

Melting point: 1560 K
Boiling point: 2742 K
Density[kg/m³]: 1848
Molar volume: 4.85 × 10^-6 m³/mol
Protons/Electrons: 4
Neutrons: 5
Shell structure: 2,2
Electron configuration: [He]2s2
Oxidation state: 2
Crystal structure: hexagonal

Beryllium was once known as glucinium, from the Greek word meaning sweet, thanks to the sweet tastes of its salts. It has since been found to be extremely toxic and potentially carcinogenic. Its characteristics as a stiff and lightweight material with stability over a wide temperature range make beryllium ideal for the aerospace industry in the manufacture of lightweight structural materials for high-speed aircraft, missiles, space vehicles, and communication satellites. It is also used in computer equipment, watch springs, and other instruments where light weight and rigidity are needed.

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