Protective radiolucent aluminium oxide coatings for beryllium X-ray optics.

See more Aluminum products. Aluminum (or Aluminium) (atomic symbol: Al, atomic number: 13) is a Block P, Group 13, Period 3 element with an atomic weight of 26.9815386. It is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust and the most abundant metallic element. Aluminum's name is derived from alumina, the mineral from which Sir Humphrey Davy attempted to refine it from in 1812. Aluminum was first predicted by Antoine Lavoisier 1787 and first isolated by Hans Christian Øersted in 1825. Aluminum is a silvery gray metal that possesses many desirable characteristics. It is light, nonmagnetic and non-sparking. It stands second among metals in the scale of malleability, and sixth in ductility. It is extensively used in many industrial applications where a strong, light, easily constructed material is needed. Although it has only 60% of the electrical conductivity of copper, it is used in electrical transmission lines because of its light weight. Pure aluminum is soft and lacks strength, but alloyed with small amounts of copper, magnesium, silicon, manganese, or other elements, it imparts a variety of useful properties.

See more Beryllium products. Beryllium (atomic symbol: Be, atomic number: 4) is a Block S, Group 2, Period 2 element with an atomic weight of 9.012182. The number of electrons in each of Beryllium's shells is [2, 2] and its electron configuration is [He] 2s². The beryllium atom has a radius of 112 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 153 pm. Beryllium is a relatively rare element in the earth's crust; it can be found in minerals such as bertrandite, chrysoberyl, phenakite, and beryl, its most common source for commercial production. Beryllium was discovered by Louis Nicolas Vauquelin in 1797 and first isolated by Friedrich Wöhler and Antoine Bussy in 1828. In its elemental form, beryllium has a gray metallic appearance. It is a soft metal that is both strong and brittle; its low density and high thermal conductivity make it useful for aerospace and military applications. It is also frequently used in X-ray equipment and particle physics. The origin of the name Beryllium comes from the Greek word "beryllos," meaning beryl.