Beryllium
(information)
Known Methods of Extraction
### **Primary Methods (Commercial Scale)** 1. **Extraction from Bertrandite Ore**: - Bertrandite ore, primarily mined in the U.S., is leached with sulfuric acid to extract beryllium as beryllium sulfate. 2. **Extraction from Beryl Ore**: - Beryl ore, a mineral composed of beryllium aluminum silicate, is crushed and treated thermally to release beryllium. 3. **Sulfuric Acid Leaching**: - Beryl or bertrandite is dissolved in sulfuric acid to extract beryllium. 4. **Alkaline Leaching**: - Beryl ore is roasted with soda ash or lime and leached with water to separate beryllium hydroxide. 5. **Thermal Decomposition**: - Beryl is roasted at high temperatures (800–1200°C) to break down the mineral structure and liberate beryllium. --- ### **Refining Processes** 6. **Precipitation as Beryllium Hydroxide**: - Beryllium is precipitated from leach solutions as beryllium hydroxide. 7. **Conversion to Beryllium Fluoride**: - Beryllium hydroxide is reacted with ammonium bifluoride to form beryllium fluoride. 8. **Electrolytic Reduction**: - Beryllium fluoride or chloride is subjected to electrolysis to produce pure beryllium metal. 9. **Solvent Extraction**: - Beryllium is separated from impurities using organic solvents in liquid-liquid extraction. 10. **Ion Exchange**: - Ion exchange resins selectively bind beryllium ions to purify it from other metals. --- ### **Secondary Methods and Alternative Sources** 11. **Recycling of Beryllium Scrap**: - Beryllium alloys and products are recycled to recover pure beryllium. 12. **Extraction from Coal Fly Ash**: - Coal fly ash, a byproduct of coal combustion, can contain trace amounts of beryllium that may be extracted. 13. **Extraction from Volcanic Rocks**: - Certain volcanic deposits contain beryllium minerals that can be processed for extraction. 14. **Processing of Pegmatites**: - Pegmatitic rocks are mined and processed for beryllium-rich minerals like beryl. 15. **Hydrometallurgical Processes**: - Use of aqueous chemistry to dissolve and separate beryllium from ores or concentrates. --- ### **Experimental and Emerging Methods** 16. **Supercritical Fluid Extraction**: - Beryllium is extracted using supercritical fluids, such as CO₂, as solvents. 17. **Biological Extraction**: - Microbial leaching techniques are being explored for beryllium extraction from ores. 18. **Microwave-Assisted Extraction**: - Microwaves are used to enhance leaching efficiency by increasing reaction rates. 19. **Plasma Processing**: - Plasma smelting can extract beryllium from ores by vaporizing other impurities. 20. **Extraction from Lunar Regolith**: - Hypothetical future methods for extracting beryllium from extraterrestrial sources like lunar soil.