Beryllium oxide

Beryllium oxide (BeO) is a refractory inorganic compound with high thermal conductivity and electrical resistance. Its useful properties are balanced by the toxicity of its dust.

Ceramic substrate: An electrically insulating ceramic base that supports electronic components and conducts heat away from them. BeO ceramics serve as substrates where circuits need both insulation and heat removal.
Wurtzite crystal structure: A hexagonal crystal structure in which each atom is tetrahedrally coordinated to atoms of the other type. BeO adopts this structure, which shapes its bonding and physical properties.
Beryllium: A lightweight alkaline earth metal with atomic number 4 and notable toxicity when inhaled as dust. Beryllium supplies BeO's cation and accounts for much of its health hazard.
Beryllium disease: An occupational lung disease caused by exposure to beryllium, including chronic beryllium disease. Inhaled BeO dust can expose workers to beryllium and cause severe lung disease.
Beryllium copper: A copper alloy strengthened with beryllium, valued for strength, conductivity, and resistance to sparks. It uses beryllium in a conductive alloy rather than as a thermally conductive oxide insulator.
Thermal conductivity: A material property measuring the rate at which heat flows through a temperature gradient. BeO's unusually high value is central to its use in heat-dissipating components.
Oxygen: A chemical element with atomic number 8 that forms oxides with many elements. Oxygen combines with beryllium to form the oxide's stable ionic-covalent lattice.
Chronic beryllium disease: An immune-mediated lung disease caused by beryllium exposure, marked by granulomas and impaired breathing. This is the principal long-term health concern associated with inhaling BeO particles.
Nuclear reactor: A system that sustains controlled nuclear fission to produce heat or radiation. BeO has been used in reactor components and as a neutron moderator because of its thermal and nuclear properties.
Electrical insulator: A material that strongly resists the movement of electric charge. BeO transfers heat while resisting electrical current, a rare and useful pairing.

Linked from 5 pages