U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Beryllium Recycling in the United States in 2000 

By Larry D. Cunningham 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 1196–P

FLOW STUDIES FOR RECYCLING METAL COMMODITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

GALE A. NORTON, Secretary 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

CHARLES G. GROAT, Director 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, RESTON, VIRGINIA : 2004

Version 1.0 

Published online in the Eastern Region, Reston, Va., 2004. 

Manuscript approved for publication October 14, 2003. 

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for 

descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by 

the U.S. Government. 
FOREWORD


As world population increases and the world economy expands, so does the demand 

for natural resources. An accurate assessment of the Nation’s mineral resources must 

include not only the resources available in the ground but also those that become available 

through recycling. Supplying this information to decisionmakers is an essential part of the 

USGS commitment to providing the science that society needs to meet natural resource 

and environmental challenges. 

The U.S. Geological Survey is authorized by Congress to collect, analyze, and 

disseminate data on the domestic and international supply of and demand for minerals 

essential to the U.S. economy and national security. This information on mineral 

occurrence, production, use, and recycling helps policymakers manage resources 

wisely. 

USGS Circular 1196, “Flow Studies for Recycling Metal Commodities in the 

United States,” presents the results of flow studies for recycling 26 metal commodities, 

from aluminum to zinc. These metals are a key component of the U.S. economy. 

Overall, recycling accounts for more than half of the U.S. metal supply by weight 

and roughly 40 percent by value. 

Charles G. Groat 

Director 

III 
CONTENTS


Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III


Conversion Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V


Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P1


Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1


Global Geologic Occurrence of Beryllium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1


Production and Production Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3


Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4


Prices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Sources of Beryllium-Bearing Scrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Disposition of Beryllium-Bearing Scrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Recycling Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7


Processing of Beryllium-Bearing Scrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7


Outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8


References Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Appendix—Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

FIGURES 

1. 	Diagram showing U.S. beryllium materials flow in 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P2

2. 	Graph showing U.S. beryllium consumption, by end-use sector, from 1981

through 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P4

3. 	Graph showing year-end average beryllium metal powder price from 1981

through 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P6

TABLE 

1. Salient statistics for U.S. beryllium scrap in 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P3 

IV 
CONTENTS V 

CONVERSION FACTORS 

Multiply By To obtain 

metric ton (t, 1,000 kg) 1.102 short ton (2,000 pounds) 

million metric tons (Mt) 1,102,000 short ton 
FLOW STUDIES FOR RECYCLING METAL COMMODITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 

Beryllium Recycling in the United States in 2000 

By Larry D. Cunningham 

ABSTRACT 

This report describes the flow of beryllium in the United States in 2000 with emphasis on the extent to which 

beryllium was either recycled or reused. Beryllium was 

recycled mostly from new scrap that was generated during 

the manufacture of beryllium-related components. In 2000, 

about 35 metric tons of beryllium was either recycled or 

reused, about 14 percent of which was derived from old 

scrap. The beryllium recycling rate was calculated to be 

about 10 percent, and beryllium scrap recycling efficiency, 

about 7 percent. 

INTRODUCTION 

This materials flow study of beryllium includes a 

description of beryllium supply and demand factors for the 

United States in 2000 to illustrate the extent of beryllium 

recycling1 and to identify recycling trends. Figure 1 shows 

the beryllium recycling flow with domestic supply and distribution of domestic supply of primary and secondary 

beryllium in 2000. 

Beryllium (Be) was discovered in 1797 as a constituent of the mineral beryl. The metallic form was isolated in 1828 and named beryllium. It was not until 1926, 

however, that the true value of beryllium was realized. 

Beryllium, which is silver in color and one of the lightest 

of all metals, has one of the highest melting points (about 

1,280 °C) of all light metals. It has physical and chemical 

properties, such as its stiffness, resistance to corrosion 

from acids, and electrical and thermal conductivity, that 

make it useful for various applications in its alloyed, 

metallic, and oxide forms. 

Salient beryllium statistics are based mostly on the 

beryllium content of beryllium-copper alloys and beryllium metal (table 1). In 2000, about 130 metric tons (t) of 

beryllium contained in old scrap was generated; about 5 t 

of beryllium valued at about $1.8 million was recycled or 

reused. The old scrap recycling efficiency was calculated 

to be about 7 percent, and the recycling rate, about 10 percent. Beryllium contained in new scrap consumed was 

about 30 t. 

1Definitions for select words are found in the Appendix. 

GLOBAL GEOLOGIC OCCURRENCE OF 

BERYLLIUM 

The beryllium content of the Earth’s crust has been estimated to be 4 to 6 parts per million. Some 45 beryllium-containing minerals have been identified. Only two beryllium 

minerals, bertrandite and beryl, are of commercial importance; bertrandite contains less than 1 percent Be and beryl 

contains about 4 percent Be. Bertrandite is the principal 

beryllium mineral mined in the United States, and beryl is 

the principal mineral mined in the rest of the world. The only 

active U.S. beryllium mineral deposit (bertrandite) occurs in 

ore grades at Spor Mountain, northwest of Delta, Utah. The 

mountains are a tilted block of Paleozoic sediments overlain 

by a Tertiary volcanosedimentary sequence. The bertrandite 

occurs in water-lain Pliocene tuff, mainly in those parts that 

contain detrital Paleozoic carbonate pebbles. The tuff is 

overlain by a series of volcanic rocks, all of which are relatively impermeable compared with the tuff. Beryllium and 

fluorine-bearing hydrothermal solutions gained access to 

the tuff through numerous local faults and then spread laterally removing magnesium and calcium from the detrital carbonate fragments in the tuff and precipitating fluorite and 

bertrandite. Elsewhere, granite pegmatites are a significant 

source of the beryllium mineral beryl. Beryl has been mined 

from zones, fracture- filling units, and replacement bodies 

in heterogeneous pegmatites. The principal beryl deposits 

are zones. Most beryl-rich zones contain only a few thousand metric tons of ore, but a few may contain as much as 1 

million metric tons (Mt). Beryl occurs in concentrations of 

approximately 2 percent in zones that contain muscovite 

mica, plagioclase, and quartz and also is as abundant in 

zones from which amblygonite, feldspar, and spodumene 

are recovered. Much of the fine- and medium-grained beryl 

of pegmatites in the Black Hills, South Dakota contains 

abundant inclusions of other minerals. Large masses of 

beryl that contain almost no inclusions have been found in 

inner zones and may extend across several zones. Beryl is 

evenly distributed in some deposits, but in others, it is irregularly distributed in rich aggregates in various parts of a 

zone. It has been found in quartz veins that contain cassiterite, molybdenite, wolframite, and other minerals. The 

concentration of beryl in the outer parts of these veins, just 

P1 
P2 FLOW STUDIES FOR RECYCLING METAL COMMODITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 

Figure 1. U.S. beryllium materials flow in 2000. Values are in metric tons of contained beryllium. 
BERYLLIUM RECYCLING IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2000 

Table 1. Salient statistics for U.S. beryllium scrap in 2000. 

[Values in metric tons of contained beryllium unless otherwise 

specified] 

Old scrap: 

Generated1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 

Consumed2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

Consumption value3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.8 million 

Recycling efficiency4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 percent 

Supply5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 

Unrecovered6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 

New scrap consumed7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

New-to-old-scrap ratio8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86:14 

Recycling rate9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 percent 

U.S. net exports of scrap10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

Value of U.S. net exports of scrap11 . . . . . . . . . . . $700 thousand 

1Beryllium content of products theoretically becoming obsolete in the 

United States in 2000; this excludes dissipative uses. 

2Beryllium content of products that were recycled in 2000. 

3Value of beryllium in materials used in calculating total value of contained metal in scrap. 

4(Old scrap consumed plus old scrap exported) divided by (old scrap 

generated plus old scrap imported). 

5Old scrap generated plus old scrap imported. 

6Old scrap generated plus old scrap imported minus old scrap consumed minus old scrap exported. 

7Including prompt industrial scrap but excluding home scrap. 

8Ratio of quantities consumed, in percent. 

9Fraction of beryllium apparent supply that is scrap on an annual 

basis. 

10Trade in scrap is assumed to be principally in old scrap. 11Value of U.S. net imports of scrap is the value of beryllium scrap 

imports minus value of exports as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. 

as beryl is concentrated in the outer part of quartz zones in 

some pegmatites, suggests that these quartz veins are genetically similar to pegmatite (Griffitts, 1973; Petkof, 1985; 

Soja and Sabin, 1986, p. 8–11; Stonehouse and others, 

1992, p. 126; Kramer, 1993; Lindsey, 1998). 

World resources of beryllium have been estimated to be 

more than 80,000 t (contained mostly in known nonpegmatite deposits). About 65 percent of the beryllium 

resources is concentrated in the United States; the Gold Hill 

and the Spor Mountain areas in Utah and the Seward Peninsula area in Alaska account for most of the total. The United States is expected to remain self-sufficient with respect 

to most of its beryllium requirements. At yearend 2000, 

reported proven bertrandite reserves in Juab County, Utah, 

totaled about 7 Mt with an average grade of 0.263 percent 

beryllium, or about 18,300 t of contained beryllium. About 

87 percent of the beryllium is recovered from the ore mined 

at Spor Mountain during the extraction process (Griffitts, 

1973; Cunningham, 2002, 2003). 

P3 

PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTION PROCESSES 

The United States is the world's largest producer of 

beryllium-containing ores and concentrates (bertrandite). 

Most of the beryllium-containing ores and concentrates 

(beryl) produced outside the United States are from Kazakhstan and Russia. Little is known, however, about the mining operations in Kazakhstan and Russia. 

Beryl was essentially the only source of beryllium until 

the late 1960s when Brush Wellman Inc. (a subsidiary of the 

world's largest beryllium producer Brush Engineered Materials Inc., Cleveland, Ohio) began commercial extraction of 

bertrandite at Spor Mountain by open pit methods. Unlike 

beryl, in which the mineral can be identified by color and 

crystal structure, bertrandite mineralization cannot be recognized by the naked eye. Consequently, Brush Wellman 

conducts geologic and geochemical evaluations on a specific area followed by a drilling program to determine if an 

economic ore body exists. After delineating an ore body, 

overburden is removed during the winter and spring. Drill 

benches are constructed to take samples of the ore body to 

analyze for development of cross-sectional and contour 

maps. These maps are then used to plan the mining and processing operations. After the maps are prepared, the remainder of the overburden is removed, and the ore is mined typically by using a self-loading scraper. Because of the irregular ore-grade distribution in the ground, the ore is mined 

from predetermined areas and layered in a stockpile to 

obtain a homogeneous blend. Drilling, sampling, and assaying the stockpiled ore generates a map that identifies oregrade distribution throughout the stockpile. Subsequently, 

the stockpiled ore is transported by truck from the mine site 

to Brush Wellman's beryllium processing facility near 

Delta, a trip of about 80 kilometers. Brush Wellman's plant 

is the only commercial facility in the United States that 

extracts beryllium from beryllium concentrates. To form a 

beryllium sulfate solution, bertrandite and imported beryl 

are crushed, leached with sulfuric acid, and heat treated to 

dissolve the contained beryllium. The solution undergoes 

solvent extraction and hydrolysis, which results in the formation of beryllium hydroxide. Brush Wellman uses the 

beryllium hydroxide at its plant in Elmore, OH, to produce 

beryllium alloys, metal, and oxide (Petkof, 1985; Soja and 

Sabin, 1986, p. 11–13; Roskill Information Services Ltd., 

2001, p. 9–10). 

Beryllium-copper master alloys are produced by combining beryllium hydroxide, carbon, and electrolytic copper 

in an electric arc furnace. The resultant melt, which contains 

about 4 percent beryllium, is cast into ingots. Remelting 

master alloy ingots with additional copper, other alloying 

elements, and new alloy scrap yields the desired berylliumcopper alloy, which is then cast into slabs or billets. Slabs of 

beryllium-copper alloys are processed further into plate or 
P4 FLOW STUDIES FOR RECYCLING METAL COMMODITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 

strip, and billets are extruded into bar, rod, tube, and wire 

products. Beryllium metal is produced by dissolving beryllium hydroxide in an ammonium bifluoride solution. The 

solution is concentrated in an evaporator to yield an ammonium beryllium fluoride salt. The salt is removed, and the 

cooled beryllium fluoride is reacted with magnesium in 

induction furnaces to produce metallic beryllium and magnesium fluoride. Cooling the mixture produces a solid cake 

that contains beryllium pebble, magnesium fluoride, and 

unreacted beryllium fluoride. Crushing this mixture followed by water leaching yields beryllium metal and magnesium fluoride. After separating the magnesium fluoride, the 

pebbles are vacuum melted to remove any slag trapped in 

them and cast into ingots. The ingots are further processed 

into a powder, which is produced by machining the ingots 

into chips followed by grinding. Beryllium oxide powder is 

produced by dissolving beryllium hydroxide in sulfuric 

acid. The resulting beryllium sulfate solution is concentrated by evaporation and then cooled producing beryllium sulfate crystals. Calcining the crystals at temperatures up to 

1,430 °C produces beryllium oxide (Kramer, 1993). 

USES 

The use of beryllium as an alloy, metal, and oxide in 

electronic and electrical components and aerospace and 

defense applications accounts for an estimated 90 percent of 

total consumption. In 2000, estimated end uses for beryllium in the United States were electronic components, 60 

percent; electrical components, 20 percent; aerospace, 10 

percent; and other, 10 percent. U.S. beryllium consumption 

during the past 20 years is shown in figure 2. For most of 

the 1980s, primary uses for beryllium were for electrical 

components and in nuclear applications, such as nuclear 

reactors. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, beryllium 

demand was being influenced by the dissolution of the 

Soviet Union, a decline in Defense-related applications/procurement, and a downturn in the economy. By the end of the 

1990s, the demand for beryllium was being driven by the 

emphasis on technology and miniaturization in telecommunications, automotive electronics, computers, and opticalmedia product applications. 

Beryllium has physical and chemical properties, such 

as its stiffness, high resistance to corrosion from acids, and 

high thermal conductivity, that make it useful for various 

applications in its alloy, metallic, and oxide forms. Beryllium-copper alloys average about 70 percent of annual U.S. 

consumption on a beryllium metal equivalent basis. The 

alloys, most of which contain approximately 2 percent 

beryllium, are used in a wide variety of applications but 

mainly in electrical and electronic components, aerospace, 

and defense. These alloys are used because of their electrical and thermal conductivity, good corrosion and fatigue 

Figure 2. U.S. beryllium consumption by end-use sector, from 1981 through 2000. 
BERYLLIUM RECYCLING IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2000 P5 

resistance, high strength and hardness, and nonmagnetic 

properties. Beryllium-copper strip is manufactured into connectors, springs, and switches for use in applications in 

aerospace, automobiles, computers, factory automation, 

home appliances, instrumentation and control systems, and 

radar and telecommunications. The principal use of largediameter beryllium-copper tubing is in oil and gas drilling 

equipment and in bushings and bearings in aircraft landing 

gear and heavy machinery. Connectors in fiber-optic 

telecommunications systems are the main application for 

beryllium-copper rod. Small luggable sockets for joining 

integrated circuits to printed circuit boards are the main 

application for beryllium-copper wire. Beryllium-copper 

bar and plate are used in resistance-welding parts and components for machinery and materials-handling systems and 

for molds to make glass, metal, and plastic components. 

Beryllium also is used in aluminum- and nickel-base 

alloys. Miniature electronic connector components that 

operate at high temperatures are the main use for berylliumnickel alloys. These alloys also are used in automotive passive restraint systems (airbags). Beryllium-aluminum alloys 

are used as castings by the aerospace industry. The addition 

of small quantities of beryllium to magnesium alloys 

inhibits oxidation. Brush Wellman’s AlBeMet, which is a 

wrought powder metallurgy product that contains from 40 

to 62 percent beryllium with at least 38 percent aluminum 

combines the high modulus and low density of beryllium 

with the ductility, fabrication, and strength characteristics of 

aluminum. AlBeMet is specified for components of the 

United States F15 and F16 fighter planes. 

Beryllium metal, which averages more than 10 percent 

of annual U.S. beryllium demand, is used principally in 

aerospace and defense applications. Its dimensional stability within a wide temperature range, high level of stiffness, 

and light weight, make it useful in inertial guidance systems, military aircraft brakes, satellite and space vehicle 

structures, and space optical system components. Because 

beryllium is transparent to most X-rays, it is used for X-ray 

windows. In nuclear reactors, beryllium also serves as a 

canning material and a neutron moderator and in control 

rods. In the past, the metal had been used as a triggering 

device in nuclear warheads. Other applications for metallic 

beryllium include audio components, high-speed computer 

components, and mirrors. In the U.S. space shuttle, beryllium is used for some brake components and structural parts. 

Beryllium oxide (BeO, beryllia), which has a high level 

of hardness and strength, is an excellent heat conductor. 

This material also acts as an electrical insulator in some 

applications. Beryllium oxide, which averages more than 15 

percent of annual U.S. beryllium demand, serves mainly as 

a substrate for high-density electronic circuits for automotive ignition systems, high-speed computers, lasers, and 

radar electronic countermeasure systems. Because it is 

transparent to microwaves, microwave communications systems and microwave ovens may use beryllium oxide. 

PRICES 

Figure 3 shows trends in the yearend average beryllium 

metal powder price from 1981 to 2000. During the 1980s 

through the 1990s, the effect of inflation rates and rising 

operating costs were reflected in increased beryllium prices. 

Energy requirements for producing beryllium metal are high. 

Processing requires the use of induction furnaces that consume large quantities of energy. Also, because of the toxic 

nature of beryllium, the industry must maintain careful control over the quantity of beryllium dust and fumes in the 

workplace. This control of potential health hazards adds to 

the cost of beryllium products. The additional costs are ultimately passed on to the consumer in the form of increased 

prices. Since 1979, when one of two domestic beryllium producers discontinued beryllium metal production, the price of 

the metal has been set by one company (Cunningham, 1999). 

Yearend American Metal Market published prices for 

selected beryllium products were as follows: 99 percent 

beryllium metal powder, $492 per pound; beryllium vacuum-cast ingot, $421 per pound; beryllium-aluminum alloy, 

$260 per pound; beryllium-copper master alloy, $160 per 

pound of contained beryllium; beryllium oxide, $100 per 

pound; and beryllium-copper strip, $8.90 per pound. The 

Metal Bulletin published price for beryl ore ranged from 

$75 to $80 per short ton unit of contained BeO. 

In 2000, no public price for beryllium scrap was published. For this report, the price for beryllium contained in 

beryllium-bearing scrap was estimated to be the published 

price for beryllium-copper master alloy. 

SOURCES OF BERYLLIUM-BEARING 

SCRAP 

About 75 percent of domestic beryllium consumption is 

in the form of beryllium-copper alloys that are used mostly 

in electrical and electronic components. Little beryllium, 

however, is recovered from used products (old scrap) owing 

to their small size, difficulty in separation, and the low beryllium content in the alloys; beryllium-copper alloys contain 

about 2 percent beryllium. Also, little beryllium metal old 

scrap is recycled; much of the metal is contained in nuclear 

reactors and nuclear weapons, which are difficult to recycle 

and may have been contaminated. These applications are 

rarely dismantled, and the beryllium may have been lost during testing (Roskill Information Services, 1989, p. 9). Most 

of the recycling of beryllium-copper alloy old scrap products 

is undertaken to reclaim the copper value; the contained 

beryllium units are lost to the beryllium industry. In 2000, 

the old scrap supply available to the beryllium industry was 

estimated to be about 140 t of contained beryllium with 

about 130 t generated from discarded or obsolete components/parts (estimated lifetime ranges from 10 to 15 years). 

About 5 t of this old scrap was recycled in the beryllium production process; most of the remaining scrap was unrecovered for its beryllium value. 
P6 FLOW STUDIES FOR RECYCLING METAL COMMODITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 

Figure 3. Year-end average beryllium metal powder price from 1981 through 2000. Values are in current 

dollars per pound beryllium (Source: American Metal Market and Bush Wellman Inc.). 

Although little beryllium-bearing old scrap is recycled 

for its beryllium content, new scrap materials, such as beryllium alloys and beryllium metal, reclaimed at manufacturing plants that produce beryllium-related components are an 

important source of beryllium supply. The low beryllium 

content of beryllium-copper alloys is offset by the large 

amounts consumed. Beryllium-copper alloy is used in computers, which is one of the largest markets for beryllium, 

mainly in the form of connectors. In 1999, U.S. shipments 

of computers were about 20 million units with an estimated 

2.11 grams of beryllium contained in each computer. Beryllium metal, which is available as billet, foil, ingot, powder, 

rod, sheet, and so forth, normally contains from about 98 to 

99.5 percent beryllium. The majority of beryllium metal is 

consumed in defense applications where the high performance of the material outweighs the material cost. Beryllium 

metal used in nuclear missile applications includes structural components, electrical and guidance systems, and triggering devices. The use of beryllium metal in nuclear reactors is said to be concentrated in its use as a reflector in 

research reactors (Roskill Information Services, 2001, p. 

77–119). New beryllium-bearing scrap generated by fabricators from their machining and stamping operations is 

returned to beryllium producers for reprocessing. In 2000, 

the United States consumed an estimated 30 t of beryllium 

contained in beryllium-related new scrap (alloys and metal) 

generated during the beryllium manufacturing process. 

DISPOSITION OF BERYLLIUM-BEARING 

SCRAP 

In 2000, the quantity of beryllium recycled or reused 

from old scrap represented less than 2 percent of domestic 

beryllium supply. Of the estimated 140 t of beryllium contained in old scrap that was available for recycling in 2000, 

more than 90 percent was unrecovered; about 4 percent used 

for domestic beryllium supply in the manufacture of new 

products; and the remainder, exported. Most of the unrecovered material was in the form of beryllium-related electrical 

and electronic equipment, some of which was abandoned in 

place, lost to the environment, recycled for the copper value 

(contained beryllium units lost to the beryllium industry), or 

shipped to landfills. 

RECYCLING EFFICIENCY 

Old scrap recycling efficiency shows the relation 

between what is theoretically available for recycling and 

what was recovered. Most scrap beryllium is either unrecovered or reused in the form of clean beryllium-bearing 

new scrap. The recycling or reuse of beryllium-bearing old 

scrap is minimal. A beryllium recycling efficiency of about 

7 percent was estimated to have been reached in 2000. The 

recycling efficiency would have been higher if not for the 

lack of a concerted program to reuse beryllium from its 

major end use, beryllium-related electrical and electronic 
BERYLLIUM RECYCLING IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2000 

components manufactured from beryllium-copper alloys 

(containing about 2 percent beryllium). 

INFRASTRUCTURE 

The United States is one of only three countries that can 

process beryllium ore and concentrates into beryllium products and supplies most of the rest of the world with these 

products. Brush Wellman mines bertrandite and converts 

this ore, along with imported beryl, into beryllium hydroxide at its facility near Delta. Beryllium hydroxide is shipped 

to the company’s plant in Elmore where it is converted into 

beryllium alloys, metal, and oxide. NGK Metals Corp. (a 

subsidiary of NGK Insulators of Japan) produces beryllium 

alloys at a plant in Sweetwater, Tenn. Because NGK Metals 

does not have facilities to process beryllium ores and concentrates, the company purchases beryllium hydroxide from 

Brush Wellman. U.S. beryllium consumption was mainly in 

the form of alloys, metal, and oxide in the aerospace, electrical, and electronic sectors. 

Processing methods, such as crushing, shredding, 

grinding, shot-blasting, welding, sparkling, melting, or casting beryllium products, used by scrap recyclers can produce 

potentially hazardous particles. “Handling beryllium or 

beryllium-containing materials in solid form posses no special health risks. Yet, as a dust or airborne particle, beryllium and beryllium-containing materials, like many other 

materials or substances, may require special handling to 

reduce potential health risks” (Scrap, 2003, p. 7). Since 

1985, suppliers of scrap materials to scrap handlers or recyclers have been obligated under the Occupational Safety and 

Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication 

regulations (29CFR 1910.1200) to inform the recipients of 

potential health risks (Scrap, 2002, 2003). 

The U.S. International Trade Commission’s Harmonized Tariff Schedule categorizes some selected beryllium 

materials. The United States imports a significant amount of 

its beryllium requirements. In 2000, imports of beryllium 

materials (alloys, metal, oxide, and waste and scrap) totaled 

about 20 t of contained beryllium valued at about $3.3 million. Beryl was not imported in 2000. In descending order, 

Estonia, Germany, and China were the major sources for 

U.S. beryllium imports on the basis of contained beryllium

and accounted for more than 80 percent of the total. Other 

sources of imports were Belgium, Russia, and the United 

Kingdom. Imports that were categorized as “waste and 

scrap” contained an estimated 10 t of beryllium scrap; Estonia was the major supplier. Beryllium exports totaled about 

35 t of contained beryllium valued at about $5.4 million. 

Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the Republic of 

Korea, and the United Kingdom were the major recipients 

of beryllium exports. Exports that were categorized as 

“waste and scrap” contained an estimated 5 t of beryllium 

with most of the material going to China, France, the 

Republic of Korea, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. 

P7 

PROCESSING OF BERYLLIUM-BEARING 

SCRAP 

Although about 75 percent of the beryllium is consumed in the United States in the form of beryllium-copper 

alloys, the amount of beryllium recovered from obsolete 

beryllium-copper scrap is small. Beryllium-copper alloys, 

containing about 2 percent beryllium, manufactured into 

small articles, such as connectors, springs, and switches, are 

difficult to segregate and are mostly not recycled for their 

beryllium value. Most of the obsolete beryllium-copper 

alloy scrap that is recycled ends up being reclaimed for the 

copper value, with the beryllium units lost/unrecovered to 

the beryllium industry. A companion report on copper recycling in this series discusses the processing of copper scrap 

(Edelstein, in press). In contrast, clean segregated beryllium-bearing scrap generated by fabricators in machining 

and stamping operations is returned to producers, such as 

Brush Wellman and others, for reprocessing (see section 

“Production and Production Processes”). 

Because of the toxic nature of beryllium, the industry 

must maintain careful control over the quantity of beryllium 

dust and fumes in the workplace. The U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency issues standards for certain hazardous air 

pollutants, including beryllium, under the Clean Air Act, and 

OSHA issues standards for airborne beryllium particles. To 

comply with these standards, plants are required to install 

and maintain pollution-control equipment. In beryllium-processing plants, harmful effects are prevented by maintaining 

clean workplaces; requiring the use of safety equipment, 

such as personal respirators; collecting dust, fumes, and 

mists at the source of deposition; establishing medical programs; and implementing other procedures to provide safe 

working conditions. Control of potential health hazards adds 

to the final cost of beryllium products (Cunningham, 2002). 

Computers, which are a major end use for beryllium, 

have a life span, which includes reuse, of up to 7 years at 

which time their materials must be disposed of or recycled. 

By 2005, about 64 million computers will have reached the 

end of their usefulness. Recycling of computers, however, 

can be difficult because they contain a number of recyclable 

materials, some of which present environmental problems 

on disposal. Such materials as lead solder and mercury are 

common in most electronics. Computer and electronic 

equipment account for only about 1 percent of the total 

waste generated in the United States, but an estimated 70 

percent of heavy metals that go to landfills results from this 

1 percent (Resource Recycling, 2000a, b, 2001). 

A small amount of workable used computers will be 

sold/reused through the resale market, and some will be 

donated to schools and nonprofit organizations. Demanufacturing, which is the disassembly of obsolete products, is 

one method to recycle electronic equipment, such as computers. In North America, more than 300 facilities harvest 

such computer components as hard drives and circuit boards 
P8 FLOW STUDIES FOR RECYCLING METAL COMMODITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 

for resale value. Demanufacturing can be profitable, but barriers, such as the lack of an adequate collection infrastructure, limited and cyclical markets for recovered materials, 

and products that are not designed to be disassembled and 

recycled, exist. A major source of material for demanufacturing is institutions that frequently update equipment 

owing to software updates and technology requirements. 

Shredding is another option that can be used to recycle computer equipment. Components, which range from laptops to 

mainframes, can be shredded, and the materials separated. 

This is an efficient way to recycle large volumes of computers, such as units formerly leased to businesses (Recycling Today, 2000; Resource Recycling, 2000a, b; Mossholder, 2001; U.S. Geological Survey, 2001). 

OUTLOOK 

The United States is expected to remain self-sufficient 

with respect to most of its beryllium requirements. In 2001, 

the United States consumed about 170 t of beryllium contained in beryllium-bearing ores compared with about 240 t 

in 2000. At yearend 2001, Brush Engineered Materials 

reported proven bertrandite reserves in Juab County of about 

6.6 Mt with an average grade of 0.268 percent beryllium. 

This represents about 17,700 t of contained beryllium compared with about 18,300 t in 2000. About 87 percent of the 

beryllium is recovered from the ore during the extraction 

process. In 2001, Brush Engineered Materials purchased land 

and mineral rights previously leased by the company's mining operations in Utah and land adjacent to its Utah extraction plant for $1.3 million. In lieu of leasing, the company 

now “owns approximately 95 percent” of its proven mineral 

reserves (Brush Engineered Materials Inc., 2002, p. 17–18). 

A 20-year pattern of U.S. beryllium consumption is 

shown in figure 2. Beginning in 2003, annual world beryllium consumption was forecast to increase by about 2 percent 

per year. Beryllium alloys, primarily beryllium-copper, are 

expected to remain the dominant form of consumption for 

beryllium. Beryllium demand from the telecommunications 

sector was declining. For the medium term, the decline in 

demand from the telecommunications sector was expected 

to be offset by increased demand for beryllium-copper in 

automotive electronics and computers. Demand for beryllium-copper products for undersea communications equipment and pipe products for the oil and gas industry was also 

expected to increase. Beryllium-aluminum alloys that contain up to about 65 percent beryllium compared with beryllium-copper alloys that contain about 2 percent beryllium 

may increase beryllium demand in such applications as 

aerospace and computers (Roskill Information Services 

Ltd., 2001, p. 1–5, 120–123). 

Development of beryllium recycling (old scrap) in the 

electronics sector, however, is very limited and represents a 

potential for future beryllium recycling. Beryllium recycling 

in this area will have to be part of a total recycling concept 

for electronic equipment, which will require time and major 

effort/cooperation between the metals industry and the electronics equipment recyclers. Concerns, factors, and issues 

that relate to disposal of obsolete/discarded electronic equipment include State government initiatives that affect electronic equipment disposition; the logistics for the collection/transport of used equipment to scrap processors/recyclers; the loss of offshore processing/recycling capacity; and 

the need for a plan for the disposition of stored surplus 

equipment and the disposition of the increasing volume of 

equipment being sold (Resource Recycling, 2000a). 

Although the United States has no mandatory electronic take 

back/recycling program, certain U.S. computer manufacturers have voluntary internal recycling programs to handle 

some leased and purchased equipment. Legislation in the 

European Union (EU), however, set new standards for sale of 

electronic equipment in Europe; this includes equipment 

manufactured outside the region. EU directives require companies to take back and recycle their electronic equipment 

and to phase out the use of various heavy metals, such as 

lead, in new equipment by 2008 (Metal Bulletin Monthly, 

2001; Recycling Today, 2001). 

REFERENCES CITED 

Brush Engineered Materials Inc., 2002, Annual report— 

2001: Cleveland, Ohio, Brush Engineered Materials 

Inc., 45 p. 

Cunningham, L.D., 1999, Beryllium, in Plunkert, P.A., and 

Jones, T.S., comps., Metal prices in the United States 

through 1998: U.S. Geological Survey, p. 9–11. 

Cunningham, L.D., 2002, Beryllium, in Metals and minerals: U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook 2000, 

v. I, p. 12.1–12.7. 

Cunningham, L.D., 2003, Beryllium: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2003, p. 34–35. 

Edelstein, D.L., in press, Copper recycling in the United 

States in 2000: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 

1196–X. 

Griffitts, W.R., 1973, Beryllium, in Brobst, D.A., and Pratt, 

W.P., eds., United States mineral resources: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 820, p. 85–93. 

Kramer, D.A., 1993, Beryllium, in Metals and minerals: 

U.S. Bureau of Mines Minerals Yearbook 1991, v. I, p. 

269–278. 

Lindsey, D.A., 1998, Slides of the fluorspar, beryllium, and 

uranium deposits at Spor Mountain, Utah: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98–524, 20 p. 

Metal Bulletin Monthly, 2001, Electronic scrap—A growing resource: Metal Bulletin Monthly, no. 366, June, p. 

21–24. 
BERYLLIUM RECYCLING IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2000 P9 

Mossholder, Nelson, 2001, Recycling electronic scrap: 

Recycling Metals from Industrial Waste—A Three Day 

Short Course and Workshop with Emphasis on Plant 

Practice, Golden, Colo., June 19–21, 2001, presentation, unpaginated. 

Petkof, Benjamin, 1985, Beryllium, in Mineral facts and 

problems: U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 675, p. 

75–82. 

Recycling Today, 2000, Electronics recycling—Re-boot reuse recycle: Recycling Today, v. 38, no. 4, April, p. 

48–56. 

Recycling Today, 2001, Electronics recycling—Bring it on: 

Recycling Today, v. 39, no. 4, April, p. 56–64. 

Resource Recycling, 2000a, Closing the circuit on electronics recycling: Resource Recycling, v. 19, no. 6, June, p. 

22–27. 

Resource Recycling, 2000b, Demanufacturing—The emergence of an urban industry: Resource Recycling, v. 19, 

no. 2, February, p. 36–38. 

Resource Recycling, 2001, Design for environment—A last 

will and testament for scrap electronics: Resource 

Recycling, v. 20, no. 3, March, p. 14–23. 

Roskill Information Services Ltd., 1989, The economics of 

beryllium (5th ed.): Roskill Information Services, 164 p. 

Roskill Information Services Ltd., 2001, The economics of 

beryllium (6th ed.): Roskill Information Services, 127 p. 

Scrap, 2002, The battle over beryllium: Scrap, v. 59, no. 5, 

September/October, p. 28–32. 

Scrap, 2003, Beryllium revisited: Scrap, v. 60, no. 1, January/February, p. 7–8. 

Soja, A.A., and Sabin, A.E., 1986, Beryllium availability— 

Market economy countries—A minerals availability 

program appraisal: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information 

Circular 9100, 19 p. 

Stonehouse, A.J., Hertz, R.K., Spiegelberg, William, and 

Harkness, John, 1992, Beryllium and beryllium alloys, 

in Bearing materials to carbon, v. 4 of Kirk-Othmer 

encyclopedia of chemical technology (4th ed.): New 

York, John Wiley & Sons, p. 126–146. 

U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, Obsolete computers, “gold 

mine” or high-tech trash?—Resource recovery from 

recycling: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 060–01, 

July, 4 p. 
P10 FLOW STUDIES FOR RECYCLING METAL COMMODITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 

APPENDIX—DEFINITIONS


apparent consumption. Primary plus secondary production (old scrap) plus imports minus exports plus 

adjustments for Government and industry stock 

changes. 

apparent supply. Apparent consumption plus consumption 

of new scrap. 

dissipative use. A use in which the metal is dispersed or 

scattered, such as paints or fertilizers, making it exceptionally difficult and costly to recycle. 

downgraded scrap. Scrap intended for use in making a 

metal product of lower value than the metal product 

from which the scrap was derived. 

home scrap. Scrap generated as process scrap and consumed in the same plant where generated. 

new scrap. Scrap produced during the manufacture of metals 

and articles for both intermediate and ultimate consumption, including all defective finished or semifinished articles that must be reworked. Examples of new scrap are 

borings, castings, clippings, drosses, skims, and turnings. 

New scrap includes scrap generated at facilities that consume old scrap. Included as new scrap is prompt industrial scrap—scrap obtained from a facility separate from 

the recycling refiner, smelter, or processor. Excluded 

from new scrap is home scrap that is generated as 

process scrap and used in the same plant. 

new-to-old-scrap ratio. New scrap consumption compared 

with old scrap consumption, measured in weight and 

expressed in percent of new plus old scrap consumed 

(for example, 40:60). 

old scrap. Scrap including (but not limited to) metal articles that have been discarded after serving a useful 

purpose. Typical examples of old scrap are electrical 

wiring, lead-acid batteries, silver from photographic 

materials, metals from shredded cars and appliances, 

used aluminum beverage cans, spent catalysts, and tool 

bits. This is also referred to as postconsumer scrap and 

may originate from industry or the general public. 

Expended or obsolete materials used dissipatively, 

such as paints and fertilizers, are not included. 

old scrap generated. Metal content of products theoretically becoming obsolete in the United States in the 

year of consideration, excluding dissipative uses. 

old scrap recycling efficiency. Amount of old scrap recovered and reused relative to the amount available to be 

recovered and reused. Defined as (consumption of old 

scrap (COS) plus exports of old scrap (OSE)) divided 

by (old scrap generated (OSG) plus imports of old 

scrap (OSI) plus a decrease in old scrap stocks (OSS) 

or minus an increase in old scrap stocks), measured in 

weight and expressed as a percentage: 

COS ' OSE Z100 

OSG ' OSI ' decrease in OSS or − increase in OSS 

old scrap supply. Old scrap generated plus old scrap 

imported plus old scrap stock decrease. 

old scrap unrecovered. Old scrap supply minus old scrap 

consumed minus old scrap exported minus old scrap 

stock increase. 

primary metal commodity. Metal commodity produced or 

coproduced from metallic ore. 

recycling. Reclamation of a metal in usable form from scrap 

or waste. This includes recovery as the refined metal or 

as alloys, mixtures, or compounds that are useful. 

Examples of reclamation are recovery of alloying metals (or other base metals) in steel, recovery of antimony in battery lead, recovery of copper in copper sulfate, 

and even the recovery of a metal where it is not desired 

but can be tolerated—such as tin from tinplate scrap 

that is incorporated in small quantities (and accepted) 

in some steels, only because the cost of removing it 

from tinplate scrap is too high and (or) tin stripping 

plants are too few. In all cases, what is consumed is the 

recoverable metal content of scrap. 

recycling rate. Fraction of the apparent metal supply that 

is scrap on an annual basis. It is defined as (consumption of old scrap (COS) plus consumption of new 

scrap (CNS)) divided by apparent supply (AS), measured in weight and expressed as a percentage: 

COS ' CNS Z 100 

AS 

scrap consumption. Scrap added to the production flow of 

a metal or metal product. 

secondary metal commodity. Metal commodity derived 

from or contained in scrap.