1. Properties

1.1 Physical properties

The main physical properties are summarized in table 1 . The outstanding physical characteristics of beryllium are its low density (1.8477 g/cm ³ ), high melting point (1,287 ˚C) and hardness. Other characteristics worth mentioning include its low coefficient of linear thermal expansion, low resistivity, diamagnetism and infrared reflectivity (95%). Beryllium transmits X-rays well due to its low atomic mass.

1.2 Nuclear...