Substance profile
Beryllium
Beryllium is hexagonal crystals and is odorless.
01 · Identification
What Beryllium is
Beryllium is hexagonal crystals and is odorless. Its molecular formula is Be and its molecular weight is 9.012 g/mol. It boils at 2468 °C, melts at 1287 °C, is soluble in water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as carcinogens.
02 · Identifiers
Beryllium identifiers and molecular data
Beryllium CAS number and EC number
Beryllium molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Beryllium hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Beryllium pictograms and signal word
Beryllium hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 3 | H301 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H330 | GHS06 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 2 | H315 | GHS07 |
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation GHS chapter 3.3 | Category 2A | H319 | GHS07 |
| Skin sensitisation GHS chapter 3.4 | Category 1 or 1A or 1B | H317 | GHS07 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - single exposure GHS chapter 3.8 | Category 3 | H335 | GHS07 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - repeated exposure GHS chapter 3.9 | Category 1 | H372 | GHS08 |
Where two values are shown with “or”, the hazard statement is shared by more than one category or by more than one class, and the code alone does not say which. H272, for example, belongs to oxidising liquids and to oxidising solids — the physical state decides. The binding answer for a specific entry is in the CLP Annex VI table itself.
Beryllium hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H350i | May cause cancer by inhalation. |
| H330 | Fatal if inhaled. |
| H301 | Toxic if swallowed. |
| H335 | May cause respiratory irritation. |
| H372 | Causes damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> through prolonged or repeated exposure <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H315 | Causes skin irritation. |
| H319 | Causes serious eye irritation. |
| H317 | May cause an allergic skin reaction. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Beryllium. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.
Safety Data Sheet
Getting an SDS for Beryllium
A Safety Data Sheet is written for a product, not for a substance: the supplier of the grade you actually buy issues it, so two suppliers of Beryllium issue two different sheets. That is why there is no single authoritative SDS for a substance to download — what there is, is the job of collecting the sheets for the products you hold and keeping them current as suppliers revise them.
04 · Precautionary statements
Beryllium precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 20 precautionary statements to Beryllium. They are grouped the way a label groups them: what to do before handling, what to do when something has already happened, how to store it and how to dispose of it.
Prevention
What to do before and during handling so the hazard never happens.
Response
What to do once exposure, spillage or fire has already happened.
Reading the notation. … is a blank the supplier fills in — not a truncated sentence.· [square brackets] mark a part printed only when it applies.
05 · Names in the regulation
Beryllium name in 23 EU languages
CLP Annex VI Part 3 is published in every language edition of the regulation, and the identification column is written out in each of them. Nothing below is translated by us: each line is the name as that edition prints it. Under Art. 18(2) the substance name from Annex VI is a lawful product identifier, so this is the wording to put on a label going to that market — and where the cell lists several designations, any one of them qualifies.
| Language | Name in CLP Annex VI Part 3 |
|---|---|
| Bulgarian български | берилий |
| Spanish español | Berilio |
| Czech čeština | beryllium |
| Danish dansk | beryllium |
| German Deutsch | Beryllium |
| Estonian eesti | berüllium |
| Greek ελληνικά | βηρύλλιο |
| English English | beryllium |
| French français | béryllium |
| Croatian hrvatski | berilij |
| Italian italiano | berillio |
| Latvian latviešu | berilijs |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | berilis |
| Hungarian magyar | berillium |
| Maltese Malti | berillju |
| Dutch Nederlands | beryllium |
| Polish polski | beryl |
| Portuguese português | berílio |
| Romanian română | beriliu |
| Slovak slovenčina | berýlium |
| Slovenian slovenščina | berilij |
| Finnish suomi | beryllium |
| Swedish svenska | beryllium |
All 23 language editions of Annex VI carry this entry. Irish is the twenty-fourth official EU language and has no line here for a different reason: no consolidated CLP text has ever been published in Irish, so there is no Irish edition of Annex VI to quote a name from. Source: consolidated CLP, CELEX 02008R1272, language editions. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu — only the electronic Official Journal of the European Union is authentic.
06 · Label elements
Beryllium GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Beryllium, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Beryllium
- May cause cancer by inhalation.
- Fatal if inhaled.
- Toxic if swallowed.
- May cause respiratory irritation.
- Causes damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> through prolonged or repeated exposure <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- Causes skin irritation.
- Causes serious eye irritation.
- May cause an allergic skin reaction.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Avoid breathing dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Wash … thoroughly after handling.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- Contaminated work clothing should not be allowed out of the workplace.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF ON SKIN:
- IF INHALED:
- IF IN EYES:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Get medical advice/attention.
- Get medical advice/attention if you feel unwell.
- Rinse mouth.
- If skin irritation occurs:
- If skin irritation or rash occurs:
- If eye irritation persists:
- Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Beryllium in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Beryllium health hazards and exposure limits
Beryllium hazard summary
Beryllium is a hard, grayish metal naturally found in mineral rocks, coal, soil, and volcanic dust. Beryllium compounds are commercially mined, and the Beryllium is purified for use in nuclear weapons and reactors, aircraft and space vehicle structures, instruments, x-ray machines, and mirrors. Beryllium ores are used to make speciality ceramics for electrical and high-technology applications. Beryllium alloys are used in automobiles, computers, sports equipment (golf clubs and bicycle frames), and dental bridges.
Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Beryllium carcinogenicity classification
There is sufficient evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of beryllium and beryllium compounds. Beryllium and beryllium compounds cause cancer of the lung. There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of beryllium and beryllium compounds. Beryllium and beryllium compounds are carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Beryllium and beryllium compounds are known to be human carcinogens based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in humans.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
An IARC group and a CLP classification answer different questions. IARC judges whether the evidence for cancer in humans is strong enough; CLP Annex VI is the legally binding EU classification. A substance can carry one and not the other.
Beryllium occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 0.0002 [mg/m3], as Be, Ceiling(OSHA) = 0.002 mg/m3, as Be | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| PEL | 0.2 µg/m³ [0.1 µg/m³ Action Level] | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | 2 µg/m³ | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | Ca See Appendix A | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | 4 mg Be/m3 ; A potential occupational carcinogen. (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 4.0 [mg/m3], as Be | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | Excerpts from Documentation for IDLHs: Human data: None relevant for use in determining the revised IDLH. | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
These are United States values. The European Union sets its own indicative and binding limits, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation — not the one shown here.
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Beryllium properties
Every value is shown with the conditions it was measured under and the source it came from. Where sources disagree, all values are listed rather than one being picked — the difference is usually a different form of the substance, not an error.
Beryllium boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 2468 °C (4474.4 °F) | HSDB | |
| 2500 °C (4532 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 2500 °C (4532 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Beryllium melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 1287 °C (2348.6 °F) | HSDB | |
| 1287 °C (2349 °F) | NIOSH |
Beryllium density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.85 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 1.85 g/cm³ | metal | NIOSH | |
| 1.85 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
Beryllium solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Insoluble in cold water, mercury; slightly soluble in hot water | HSDB | |
| Soluble in acid and alkaline solutions | HSDB |
Beryllium vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0 mmHg | approx | NIOSH |
Beryllium lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Powdered beryllium ignites on heating in a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas. | HSDB | |
| Metal: Noncombustible Solid in bulk form, but a slight explosion hazard in the form of a powder or dust. | NIOSH |
Beryllium upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | 2349 °F | OSHA |
Beryllium corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Corrosion resistant | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Beryllium fire and explosion behaviour
These are descriptions rather than measured values, so they are kept out of the table above and quoted here with the source that reported them.
Beryllium fire potential
Finely divided beryllium burns in air.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Solubility
Beryllium reacts readily with sulfuric, hydrochloric, and hydrofluoric acids. Dilute nitric acid attacks the metal slowly, whereas concentrated nitric acid has little effect.
Source: HSDB
10 · Handling and storage
Beryllium storage and handling
Beryllium safe storage
Provision to contain effluent from fire extinguishing. Separated from strong acids, bases, chlorinated solvents and food and feedstuffs. Well closed. Store only in original container. Store in an area without drain or sewer access.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Beryllium incompatible materials
Finely divided or amalgamated metal reacts with HCl, dilute H2SO4 and dilute HNO3; attacked by strong bases with evolution of H2.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Beryllium reactivity
When inhaled, Beryllium and its compounds cause serious and irreversible damage to lungs.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Beryllium in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Beryllium — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Beryllium?
The CAS number of Beryllium is 7440-41-7. Its EC number is 231-150-7.
What is the chemical formula of Beryllium?
The molecular formula of Beryllium is Be and its molecular weight is 9.012 g/mol.
What does a Beryllium label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Beryllium carries the pictograms Skull and crossbones and Health hazard and the signal word is Danger.
Is Beryllium flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Beryllium no flammability hazard class. That is not a statement that it cannot burn: the harmonised list only records the hazards that were assessed for it.
Is Beryllium a carcinogen?
Yes. CLP Annex VI classifies Beryllium as a category 1A or 1B carcinogen and assigns it H350i: may cause cancer by inhalation. IARC places it in Group 1: carcinogenic to humans.
What is the exposure limit for Beryllium?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Beryllium is 0.0002 [mg/m3], as Be, Ceiling(OSHA) = 0.002 mg/m3, as Be (Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases). Limits differ by country: the EU sets its own indicative and binding values, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation.
What is the boiling point of Beryllium?
The boiling point reported for Beryllium is 2468 °C (4474.4 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Beryllium?
The melting point reported for Beryllium is 1287 °C (2348.6 °F) (HSDB).
Nearby
Substances next to Beryllium
Keep going: substances starting with B, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.