What Does
Beryllium Copper Alloy (BeCu) Mean?
A beryllium copper alloy is a chemical substance composed of copper as a base metal and beryllium as a secondary component with a lesser concentration. Beryllium copper alloys are among the corrosion-resistant copper alloys, and are corrosion resistant with a concentration split of about 90/10 Cu-Be or 70/30 Cu-Be.
Beryllium copper alloy may also be known as beryllium bronze.
Corrosionpedia Explains Beryllium Copper Alloy (BeCu)
Beryllium copper alloys are generally resistant to moisture, acid attack, alkali attack and salt solutions. Unlike several alloys, they are also resistant to gaseous attack gases such as oxygen, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. Beryllium copper alloys reduce the risk of stress corrosion cracking and pitting corrosion. The resistance of these alloys allows for the formation of a stable protective coating on a substrate metal's surface.
Copper and beryllium form a continuous series of solid solutions, therefore a heterogeneous structure can occur in these alloys. Alloys containing 0.1% and 5% beryllium have extremely good corrosion resistance, as seen in empirical examinations of its behavior in hot seawater at high flow rates.
Beryllium copper alloys are generally safe to use, however, when the alloy is in the form of a dust then it is dangerous to human health when inhaled.