how is berylium used in nuclear reactors?

Question

chemistry help!

Answer 1

http://www.du.edu/~jcalvert/phys/beryl.htm

"The thermal neutron absorption cross section of Be9 is only 10 mbarns, a rather small value, so beryllium makes a good neutron moderator in fission reactors. It is lighter than C (9 vs. 12), so a neutron can lose more energy in one collision with beryllium that with carbon. Neutron absorption reactions are Be9(n,α)He6 (winding up as Li6), and Be9(n,2n)Be8 (winding up as 2α). Beryllium is not only a moderator, but also a source of neutrons. Beryllium was considered a promising material for high-temperature nuclear reactors (carbon, of course, cannot be used). Beryllium was used as a neutron reflector to reduce the size of reactor cores. It is used in nuclear weapons for the same purpose."

Answer 2

Okay, beryllium is not radioactive. It only has one major naturally occuring isotope, and it is not radioactive. There are trace amounts of Be10 (a long-lived radioactive isotope) produced in the high atmosphere, but most mineral ores of beryllium contain essentially negligent amounts of this isotope, so it is not radioactive.

It is used in nuclear reactors as a neutron moderator or deflector. Multiple neutrons are released by each fission event, each one of which can produce another fission event--chain reaction, which is bad in nuclear reactors. Beryllium can slow down neutrons (fast neutrons are actually not so good for nuclear reactors), and also deflect neutrons very well (which is why it's used in nuclear bombs: to reflect neutrons back into the chain reaction, therefore you need less plutonium/uranium).

You can read a bit more about it here:
http://www.du.edu/~jcalvert/phys/beryl.htm
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryllium

Answer 3

I'm going to guess that berylium might be radioactive. If it is, soaking it in water causes the water to boil, which turns turbines and produces electricity.

A radioactive atom basically just has a decaying nucleus, which releases a form of energy that can travel through a vacuum (radioactivity). Assuming I remember correctly, your teacher probably knows the truth. Hope this helps a little.

Answer 4

It is a product of the fusion of hydrogen which is not used in current nuclear reactors.

Answer 5

It is used as a reflector or moderator

Answer 6

Well you take the doohickey and put it in the whatchamacallit, and then it reacts with the thingamajig - the result should be stuff.