U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

BERYLLIUM RECYCLING IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2000 

By Larry D. Cunningham 

Reston, VA 

Open-File Report 03-282 

This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial 

standards (or with the Northern American Stratigraphic Code). Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for 

descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. 
CONTENTS

Abstract .................................................................................................. 1

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

Global Geologic Occurrence of Beryllium .................................................................... 3

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

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

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

Sources of Beryllium-Bearing Scrap ............................................................................ 6

Disposition of Beryllium-Bearing Scrap ......................................................................... 7

Recycling Efficiency ........................................................................................ 7

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

Processing of Beryllium-Bearing Scrap .......................................................................... 8

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

References Cited ........................................................................................... 9

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

FIGURES 

Figure 1. Diagram showing U.S. beryllium materials flow in 2000 .................................................... 2

Figure 2. Graph showing U.S. beryllium consumption, by end-use sector, from 1981 through 2000 ........................... 5

Figure 3. Graph showing yearend average beryllium metal powder price from 1981 through 2000 ............................ 6

TABLE 

Table 1. Salient statistics for U.S. beryllium scrap in 2000 ........................................................... 2
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 

As shown in figure 1, 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. 

1

Definitions for selected words are found in the Appendix. 
Table 1. Salient statistics for U.S. beryllium scrap in 2000 

[Values in metric tons of contained beryllium, unless otherwise specified] 

Old scrap: 1 Generated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 2 Consumed .............................................................................................5 3 Consumed value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.8 million 4 Recycling efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 percent

Supply5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 6 Unrecovered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

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

8 New-to-old-scrap ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86:14

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

U.S. net imports of scrap10 .................................................................................5

Value of U.S. net imports of scrap11 ............................................................... $700 thousand 1

Beryllium content of products theoretically becoming obsolete in the United States in 2000; this excludes dissipative uses. 2

Beryllium content of products that were recycled in 2000. 

2
3

Value of contained 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). 5

Old scrap generated plus old scrap imported. 6

Old scrap generated plus old scrap imported minus old scrap consumed minus old scrap exported. 7

Including prompt industrial scrap but excluding home scrap. 8

Ratio of quantities consumed, in percent.

9

Fraction of the 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.

GLOBAL GEOLOGIC OCCURRENCE OF BERYLLIUM 

The beryllium content of the Earth’s crust has been estimated at 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% Be and beryl contains about 4% 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, UT. 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, fracturefilling 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% in zones that contain muscovite mica, which is the principal product, 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 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, undated; 

Lindsey, 1998). 

World resources of beryllium have been estimated to be more than 80,000 t (contained mostly in known nonpegmatite deposits). 

About 65% 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, UT, totaled about 7 Mt 

with an average grade of 0.263% beryllium, or about 18,300 t of contained beryllium. About 87% of the beryllium is recovered from 

the ore mined at Spor Mountain during the extraction process (Griffitts, 1973; Cunningham, 2002, 2003). 

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, OH) 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 ore-grade 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 

3
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% beryllium, is cast into ingots. Remelting master alloy ingots with additional 

copper, other alloying elements, and new alloy scrap yields the desired beryllium-copper alloy, which is then cast into slabs or billets. 

Slabs of beryllium-copper alloys are processed further into plate or 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% of total consumption. In 2000, estimated end uses for beryllium in the United States were electronic 

components, 60%; electrical components, 20%; aerospace, 10%; and other, 10%. 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 optical-media 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% of annual U.S. consumption on a beryllium metal equivalent basis. The alloys, most of which contain approximately 2% 

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 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 large-diameter 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 beryllium-nickel 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% 

beryllium, with at least 38% 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% 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. 

4
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% 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% beryllium metal powder, 

5
$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% 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% 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 

6
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. 

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% 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% was unrecovered; 

about 4% 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% 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 components manufactured from beryllium-copper alloys (containing about 2% 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, TN. 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% 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 

7
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. 

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% 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% of the total waste generated in the United States, but an estimated 70% of heavy 

metals that go to landfills results from this 1% (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 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% 

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

beryllium compared with beryllium-copper alloys that contain about 2% beryllium may increase beryllium demand in such 

applications as aerospace and computers (Roskill Information Services Ltd., 2001, p. 1-5, 120-123). 

8
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, OH, 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. 

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, UT: 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. 

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 re-use 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. 

9
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 fertilizers or paints, thus 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 intermediate and ultimate consumption, which includes 

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, which is scrap that is obtained from a facility separate from the processor, recycling refiner, or smelter. 

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 that includes but is not limited to metal articles which have been discarded after serving a useful purpose. Typical 

examples of old scrap are batteries, electrical wiring, metals from shredded cars and appliances, silver from photographic 

materials, spent catalysts, tool bits, and used aluminum beverage cans. This is also referred to as “postconsumer scrap” and may 

originate from industry or the general public. Expended or obsolete material used dissipatively, such as fertilizer and paints, is not 

included. 

old scrap generated. Metal content of products theoretically becoming obsolete in the United States in the year of consideration; this 

excludes dissipative uses. 

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

reused. It is defined as [consumption of old scrap (COS) + 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 x 100

 OSG + OSI + decrease in OSS or - increase in OSS. 

old scrap supply. Old scrap generated plus old scrap imports 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 useable form from scrap or waste. This includes recovery as the refined metal or as alloys, 

compounds, or mixtures that are useful. Examples of reclamation are recovery of alloying (or other base metals) in steel; 

antimony in battery lead; copper in copper sulfate; and even 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 metal apparent supply that is scrap, on 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 x 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. 

10