Beryllium
Berilio (Be, Z=4)
- Date
- 1798 · confidence high
- Place
- Paris, France
- Credited to
- Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin
- People
- 👤 Antoine Bussy1794–1882👤 Friedrich Wöhler1800–1882👤 Louis Nicolas Vauquelin1763–1829
- Field
- Matter & energy
What was discovered
Vauquelin identified a new 'earth' (glucina) in beryl and emerald; Wöhler and Bussy independently isolated the metal in 1828.
It was called glucinium for decades because of the sweet taste of its salts.
What it led to
- X-ray windows and detectors
- Moderator and reflector in nuclear reactors
- Copper-beryllium alloys for spark-proof tools
Built on
- Chemical analysis of gemstones
- Reduction with potassium
Made possible
- X-ray tube windows
- James Webb telescope mirrors