Be is found in several minerals including Emerald and aquamarines, which are rare forms of the mineral beryl. The mineral beryl is the main source of beryllium.
Isolation
of Beryllium
The
mineral beryl, the most important source of beryllium, is heated with Na2SiF6
at 700 degrees C.
This forms Beryllium Fluoride.
Since the beryllium fluoride is water soluble it is added to water
and then the beryllium is precipitated as Be(OH)2 (beryllium
hydroxide)
Another
way to obtain Be is through the electrolysis [A chemical reaction which is
brought about by the passage of current from an external energy source such
as a battery]
of BeCl2 with salt, added because molten BeCl2
is a poor conductor of electricity.
Another way is to heat Beryllium Fluoride with Magnesium at 1300 degrees C.
BeF2 + Mg = MgF2 + Be
The following minerals contain Beryllium
From http://web.wt.net/~daba/Mineral/chem/Chem-Be.html
Aminoffite
Ca3Be2Si3O10(OH)2 ---- 4.33% Be ( MW = 416.52 gm)
Asbecasite
Ca3(Ti,Fe,Sn)(Be,B,Al)2(As+++,Sb+++)3O6(SiO4)2
Babefphite
BaBe(PO4)(F,O)
Barylite
BaBe2Si2O7 ---- 5.57% Be ( MW = 323.52 gm)
Bavenite
Ca4Be2Al2Si9O26(OH)2 ---- 1.93% Be ( MW = 935.07 gm)
Bazzite
Be3(Sc,Al)2Si6O18
Bearsite
Be2(AsO4)(OH)·4(H2O) ---- 7.33% Be ( MW = 246.01 gm)
Behoite
Be(OH)2 ---- 20.95% Be ( MW = 43.03 gm)
Berborite
Be2(BO3)(OH,F)·(H2O)
Bergslagite
CaBe(AsO4)(OH) ---- 4.40% Be ( MW = 205.02 gm)
Bertrandite
Be4Si2O7(OH)2 ---- 15.13% Be ( MW = 238.23 gm)
Beryl
Be3Al2Si6O18 ---- 5.03% Be ( MW = 537.50 gm)
Beryllite
Be3SiO4(OH)2·(H2O) ---- 15.80% Be ( MW = 171.15 gm)
Beryllonite
NaBePO4 ---- 7.10% Be ( MW = 126.97 gm)
Bityite
CaLiAl2(AlBeSi2)O10(OH)2 ---- 2.33% Be ( MW = 387.16 gm)
Bromellite
BeO ---- 36.03% Be ( MW = 25.01 gm)
Calciogadolinite
* CaREE(Fe+++)Be2Si2O10
Calcybeborosilite
* (Y,Ca)2(B,Be)2Si2O8(OH)2
Chiavennite
CaMnBe2Si5O13(OH)2·2(H2O) ---- 3.39% Be ( MW = 531.51 gm)
Chkalovite
Na2BeSi2O6 ---- 4.35% Be ( MW = 207.16 gm)
Chrysoberyl
BeAl2O4 ---- 7.10% Be ( MW = 126.97 gm)
Clinobehoite
Be(OH)2 ---- 20.95% Be ( MW = 43.03 gm)
Danalite
Fe++4Be3(SiO4)3S ---- 4.84% Be ( MW = 558.74 gm)
Ehrleite
Ca2ZnBe(PO4)2(PO3,OH)·4(H2O)
Epididymite
NaBeSi3O7(OH) ---- 3.67% Be ( MW = 245.26 gm)
Euclase
BeAlSiO4(OH) ---- 6.21% Be ( MW = 145.08 gm)
Eudidymite
NaBeSi3O7(OH) ---- 3.67% Be ( MW = 245.26 gm)
Faheyite
(Mn,Mg)Fe+++2Be2(PO4)4·6(H2O)
Fransoletite
H2Ca3Be2(PO4)4·4(H2O) ---- 3.04% Be ( MW = 592.22 gm)
Gadolinite-(Ce)
(Ce,La,Nd,Y)2Fe++Be2Si2O10
Gadolinite-(Y)
Y2Fe++Be2Si2O10 ---- 3.85% Be ( MW = 467.85 gm)
Gainesite
NaNa(Be,Li)(Zr,Zn)2(PO4)4·1-2(H2O)
Genthelvite
Zn4Be3(SiO4)3S ---- 4.53% Be ( MW = 596.91 gm)
Glucine
CaBe4(PO4)2(OH)4·0.5(H2O) ---- 10.51% Be ( MW = 343.11 gm)
Gugiaite
Ca2BeSi2O7 ---- 3.50% Be ( MW = 257.33 gm)
Hambergite
Be2BO3(OH) ---- 11.81% Be ( MW = 152.65 gm)
Harstigite
Ca6MnBe4(SiO4)2(Si2O7)2(OH)2 ---- 4.07% Be ( MW = 885.97 gm)
Helvite
Mn4Be3(SiO4)3S ---- 4.87% Be ( MW = 555.10 gm)
Herderite
CaBe(PO4)F ---- 5.53% Be ( MW = 163.06 gm)
Hingganite-(Ce)
(Ce,Y)2(_,Fe++)Be2Si2O8(OH,O)2
Hingganite-(Y)
(Y,Yb,Er)BeSiO4(OH)
Hingganite-(Yb)
(Yb,Y)BeSiO4(OH)
Hogtuvaite
(Ca,Na)2(Fe++,Fe+++,Ti,Mg,Mn)6(Si,Be,Al)6O20
Hsianghualite
Ca3Li2Be3(SiO4)3F2 ---- 5.69% Be ( MW = 475.40 gm)
Hurlbutite
CaBe2(PO4)2 ---- 7.27% Be ( MW = 248.05 gm)
Hyalotekite
(Ba,Pb,Ca,K)6(B,Si,Al)2(Si,Be)10O28(F,Cl)
Hydroxylherderite
CaBe(PO4)(OH) ---- 5.60% Be ( MW = 161.07 gm)
IMA96.008
(Fe,Mg,Al)2(Na,?)[Be3Si6O18]·(H2O)
Jeffreyite
(Ca,Na)2(Be,Al)Si2(O,OH)7
Joesmithite
PbCa2(Mg,Fe++,Fe+++)5Si6Be2O22(OH)2
Leifite
Na2(Si,Al,Be)7(O,OH,F)14
Leucophanite
(Na,Ca)2BeSi2(O,OH,F)7
Liberite
Li2BeSiO4 ---- 7.84% Be ( MW = 114.98 gm)
Lovdarite
K2Na6Be4Si14O36·9(H2O) ---- 2.61% Be ( MW = 1,383.50 gm)
Mccrillisite
NaCs(Be,Li)Zr2(PO4)4·1-2(H2O)
Meliphanite
(Ca,Na)2Be(Si,Al)2(O,OH,F)7
Milarite
K2Ca4Al2Be4Si24O60·(H2O) ---- 1.82% Be ( MW = 1,980.55 gm)
Minasgeraisite-(Y)
CaY2Be2Si2O10 ---- 3.99% Be ( MW = 452.08 gm)
Moraesite
Be2(PO4)(OH)·4(H2O) ---- 8.92% Be ( MW = 202.06 gm)
Musgravite
(Mg,Fe++,Zn)2Al6BeO12
Odintsovite
K2Na4Ca3Ti2Be4Si12O38 ---- 2.64% Be ( MW = 1,367.20 gm)
Pahasapaite
(Ca,Li,K,Na)27Li16Be48(PO4)48·76(H2O)
Parafransoletite
Ca3Be2(PO4)2(PO3,OH)2·4(H2O)
Pehrmanite
(Fe++,Zn,Mg)2Al6BeO12
Phenakite
Be2SiO4 ---- 16.37% Be ( MW = 110.11 gm)
Rhodizite
(K,Cs)Al4Be4(B,Be)12O28
Roggianite
Ca2[Be(OH)2Al2Si4O13]·<2·5(H2O) ---- 1.67% Be ( MW = 540.72 gm)
Roscherite
Ca(Mn++,Fe++)5Be4(PO4)6(OH)4·6(H2O)
Samfowlerite
Ca14Mn++3Zn2(Be,Zn)2Be6(SiO4)6(Si2O7)4(OH,F)6
Selwynite
NaK(Be,Al)Zr2(PO4)4·2(H2O)
Semenovite
(Ca,Ce,La,Na)10-12(Fe++,Mn)(Si,Be)20(O,OH,F)48
Sorensenite
Na4SnBe2Si6O18·2(H2O) ---- 2.50% Be ( MW = 721.23 gm)
Stoppaniite
(Fe,Al,Mg)4(Na,_)[Be6Si12O36]·2(H2O)
Surinamite
(Mg,Fe++)3Al4BeSi3O16
Sverigeite
NaMnMgSn++++Be2Si3O12(OH) ---- 3.39% Be ( MW = 532.22 gm)
Swedenborgite
NaBe4SbO7 ---- 12.31% Be ( MW = 292.78 gm)
Taaffeite
Mg3Al8BeO16 ---- 1.63% Be ( MW = 553.77 gm)
Tiptopite
K2(Na,Ca)2Li3Be6(PO4)6(OH)2·(H2O)
Trimerite
CaMn2Be3(SiO4)3 ---- 5.97% Be ( MW = 453.24 gm)
Tugtupite
Na4AlBeSi4O12Cl ---- 1.93% Be ( MW = 467.74 gm)
Tvedalite
(Ca,Mn++,Fe++)4Be3Si6O17(OH)4·3(H2O)
Uralolite
Ca2Be4(PO4)3(OH)3·5(H2O) ---- 6.65% Be ( MW = 542.22 gm)
Vayrynenite
MnBe(PO4)(OH,F)
Wawayandaite
Ca12Mn4B2Be18Si12O46(OH,Cl)30[Ortho·]
Weinebeneite
CaBe3(PO4)2(OH)2·5(H2O) ---- 7.45% Be ( MW = 363.13 gm)
Welshite
Ca2Sb+++++Mg4Fe+++Si4Be2O20 ---- 2.36% Be ( MW = 765.25 gm)
Yttroceberysilite
Y2(B,Be)2Si2O8(OH)2
Zanazziite
(Ca,Mn)2(Mg,Fe)(Mg,Fe++,Mn,Fe+++)4Be4(PO4)6(OH)4·6(H2O)
