Results 1 to 15 of 15
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2021
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    1

    Default Identify Beryllium Copper

    I got a whole heap of stock including steel, brass, copper and beryllium-copper.

    Question: is there a way, in a home workshop, to identify which stock is beryllium-copper with certainty (not just colour)?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    35
    Posts
    1,522

    Default

    I dont know of any way other than an xrf test, id take it to my local scrapyard and get them to test it. Beryllium copper is a pretty unpleasant material and can be quite dangerous.

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,439

    Default

    Hi Guys,

    Most Beryllium copper is found in springs and similar items used in electrical components.
    Check Wikipedia for toxicity details ! Its the Beryllium that is toxic ! Basically do not burn or attempt to melt copper containing Beryllium. If you do then do it in a very well ventilated space, avoid the vapour !
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Hi ITA124,
    Get rid of it, no ifs, buts, or maybees.
    Truly its not worth the risk.

    Is your ongoing good health worth the loss of a few dollars worth of copper?

    Beryllium is one of the nastiest metals around. On my desk is a copy of The Hazards of Welding, by Ben Bartlett -1989, a publication on the AMWU- Australian Metal Workers Union. The entry under the beryllium title is the largest of all metals listed in the book.

    Welding it or machining with out proper procedure and PPE can make you very ill.

    Beryllium can cause acute and chronic disease.

    A few of the hazards noted for you

    Respiratory problems

    Damage to the eyes

    Pulmonary Odema

    Chronic beryllium disease

    and it and suspected it was the trigger for other chronic diseases.

    Some scrappies may have an XRF but I would think it would be the very large national companies due to the cost.

    My old NDT boss looked at one but it was very expensive.We were a certified Nata lab and the times it would be required did not justify the cost.

    Grahame

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    ITA124
    Welcome to the MetalWork Forums

    We have a pretty good mob here who are supportive friendly and helpful.

    Please take the time to navigate around the forums to view the varied and interesting subjects.


    To do this, goto the the FORUM box in the top left hand corner of the screen. Click Forum Home and a scroll down page will come up.

    Scroll down the page and the various help pages and sub forums shall be shown.

    Please read the Terms of Use on the very top of the scroll down page - they are our rules.
    To save time here's the link

    https://metalworkforums.com/f90/t197...terms-tou-read

    Many pages also have a sticky at the top.If you post its always a good idea to check the sticky ,if there is one there.

    Again, welcome to our forums.

    Grahame

  6. #6
    BobL is online now Member: Blue and white apron brigade
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    7,183

    Default

    Identifying BeCu is not something to be trusted to by a scrappy with a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer unit. Be is a low Atomic Number Element (4th after H, He and Li) and this means its is very difficult to detect using most X-ray methods.

    There are colormetric tests but these involve dissolution in acids and playing around with chemicals ie not good either.

    There are two Basic types, the 2-4% Be stuff used to make non-sparking tools. This will be much harder than normal copper
    Then there's the high conductivity stuff which is at the 10ths of percent Be that is used in electric applications. This will be nearly as soft as regular copper assuming none of it is work hardened.
    I wouldn't trust any % to be safe.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    34
    Posts
    1,075

    Default

    Is BeCu unsafe to work with in general, or just melting/welding?

    I recently had a run of 10 small parts at work for gear cutting (customer supplied the machined blanks, we just put teeth on). The machine pumps enough coolant to sink a ship, so it wasn't getting hot enough to smoke or anything like that and it's enclosed with fume extraction anyway
    Gear cutting specialists and general engineers www.hardmanbros.com.au
    Fine pitch gear cutting from 0.1 Module www.rigear.com.au

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    South of Adelaide
    Posts
    1,225

    Default

    The fumes/dust from it can cause extremely serious lung problems.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    34
    Posts
    1,075

    Default

    So if there's no dust or fumes it's safe?
    Gear cutting specialists and general engineers www.hardmanbros.com.au
    Fine pitch gear cutting from 0.1 Module www.rigear.com.au

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    melbourne australia
    Posts
    3,228

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by elanjacobs View Post
    Is BeCu unsafe to work with in general, or just melting/welding?
    According to this source it's safe as long as you don't produce dust:

    https://materion.com/-/media/files/a...m-brochure.pdf
    Chris

  11. #11
    BobL is online now Member: Blue and white apron brigade
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    7,183

    Default

    It doesnt naturally emit any fumes or dust so dustless mechanical working is OK.
    Its safe to handle with bare hands - it's what gets inside you that matters. That included small chips that might get under skin.

    At one point the docs thought I might have Be poisoning after I accidentally shattered a Be window on a large (50mm diam) Geiger detector at work. I was monitored for about 12 months after that but all I ended up getting was a series of flu bugs. 10+ Years later I got Sarcoidosis which can present in a similar way to Be poisoning and the Be is exposure incident came up again but the docs don’t think they’re related. I had two biopsies taken of the ganularomas in my lungs but they could not determine it one way or the other. Anyway it appears my Sarcoidosis is receding.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    35
    Posts
    1,522

    Default

    Thanks for the info about XRF testing Bob. Ots worth noting the guns have got a fair bit cheaper. Both scrapyards near me have them. They are in the 20 - 30k range now

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Syd
    Posts
    492

    Default

    Seems the supplier in Melbourne needs to get rid of all their inventory.

    If the OP needs to dispose of bar stock in the 30~40mm range, might have some interest.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    melbourne australia
    Posts
    3,228

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Hunch View Post
    If the OP needs to dispose of bar stock in the 30~40mm range, might have some interest.
    OP is another one-post-wonder. Hasn't been back since the original post and hasn't even had the courtesy to hit Like for any of the feedback s/he's received.
    Chris

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,439

    Default

    Hi Chris,

    There seems to be a lot of posters like that !

    You should spend some time on the American forums. No consideration of courtesy there, you would be lucky if you got a "please". Both my children are secondary school teachers and both tell me that the pupils have little idea about common courtesy, particularly in the mixed race groups, and simply demand what they want.

    Certainly there is a much better ethos down here !
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

Similar Threads

  1. Can anyone identify this for me please?
    By graham.beven in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 12th May 2021, 07:44 PM
  2. Beryllium copper
    By hughie in forum WELDING
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 13th Sep 2011, 08:36 AM
  3. Help me identify a thread
    By 19brendan81 in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 30th Oct 2009, 09:45 AM
  4. Avatar can't identify
    By gemi_babe in forum FORUMS INFO, HELP, DISCUSSION & FEEDBACK
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 20th Oct 2004, 09:20 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •