Beryllium possesses several desirable properties for aerospace applications, including its low density and excellent stiffness-to-weight ratio. However, despite these advantages, beryllium is not extensively used in aerospace for several reasons:
Cost: Beryllium is a relatively rare element and its extraction and processing are expensive. The high cost of beryllium limits its widespread use in aerospace, as it would significantly increase the cost of manufacturing components and systems.
Toxicity: Beryllium is highly toxic when inhaled as dust or fumes. Prolonged exposure to beryllium can cause a lung condition known as berylliosis, which can be serious or even fatal. This toxicity poses significant occupational health risks during the manufacturing, machining, and maintenance processes. Therefore, strict safety measures and protocols need to be in place to handle beryllium safely, increasing the complexity and cost of its use.
Brittle nature: Beryllium is a brittle material, which means it has low resistance to fracture and tends to break rather than deform under stress. This brittleness makes it less suitable for applications where impact or shock loading may occur, such as in the aerospace industry where components are subjected to high loads and vibrations.
Manufacturing challenges: Beryllium is difficult to work with due to its low ductility and high melting point. It requires specialized manufacturing techniques and tools, such as machining and shaping processes using diamond tools, to achieve the desired shapes and dimensions. These additional manufacturing challenges add complexity and cost to the production of beryllium components.
Considering these factors, alternative materials like aluminum, titanium, and composites are often preferred for aerospace applications due to their favorable balance of properties, lower cost, and ease of manufacturing. However, it's worth noting that beryllium is still used in certain specialized aerospace applications, particularly in areas where its unique properties outweigh the associated challenges and costs.