Beryllium compared with aluminium

In its general corrosion behaviour, beryllium exhibits characteristics very similar to those of aluminium. Like aluminium, the film-free metal is highly active and readily attacked in many environments. Beryllium oxide, however, like alumina, is, a very stable compound (standard free energy of formation = —579kJ/mol), with a bulk density of 3-025g/cm as compared with 1 -85 g/cm for the pure metal, and with a high electronic resistivity of about 10 flcm at 0°C. In fact, when formed, the oxide confers the same type of spurious nobility on beryllium as is found, for example, with aluminium, titanium and zirconium. 

Dilute binary alloys of nickel with elements such as aluminium, beryllium and manganese which form more stable sulphides than does nickel, are more resistant to attack by sulphur than nickel itself. Pfeiffer measured the rate of attack in sulphur vapour (13 Pa) at 620°C. Values around 0- 15gm s were reported for Ni and Ni-0-5Fe, compared with about 0-07-0-1 gm s for dilute alloys with 0-05% Be, 0-5% Al or 1-5% Mn. In such alloys a parabolic rate law is obeyed the rate-determining factor is most probably the diffusion of nickel ions, which is impeded by the formation of very thin surface layers of the more stable sulphides of the solute elements. Iron additions have little effect on the resistance to attack of nickel as both metals have similar affinities for sulphur. Alloying with other elements, of which silver is an example, produced decreased resistance to sulphur attack. In the case of dilute chromium additions Mrowec reported that at low levels (<2%) rates of attack were increased, whereas at a level of 4% a reduction in the parabolic rate constant was observed. The increased rates were attributed to Wagner doping effects, while the reduction was believed to result from the... 

However, it is a quite striking fourth parameter that oxidizing aqua ions under equal circumstances are more acidic (have lower pK). Thus, iron(III) is distinctly more acidic than aluminium(III) and chromium(III), copper(II) more acidic than nickel(II) and zinc(II), and quite excessive acidity is observed for mercury(II)41), palladium(II)42,81) and thallium(III) aqua ions, compared with the much smaller beryllium(II) and aluminium(III). This tendency takes extreme proportions 841 in gold(III) complexes. 

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