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Applications of Alkaline Earth Metals

Beryllium is mainly used in military applications but also has some non-military uses. It is used as a semiconductor dopant and in beryllium oxide as an electrical insulator. Beryllium alloys are used for mechanical parts requiring stiffness, light weight, and stability over wide temperatures. Magnesium is commonly alloyed with other metals to increase strength and corrosion resistance, and has industrial uses in iron and steel production and titanium production. Calcium is used to separate metals from ore and is a component of many alloys including aluminum and copper alloys, as well as in making cheese, cement, and mortar.

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23 views2 pages

Applications of Alkaline Earth Metals

Beryllium is mainly used in military applications but also has some non-military uses. It is used as a semiconductor dopant and in beryllium oxide as an electrical insulator. Beryllium alloys are used for mechanical parts requiring stiffness, light weight, and stability over wide temperatures. Magnesium is commonly alloyed with other metals to increase strength and corrosion resistance, and has industrial uses in iron and steel production and titanium production. Calcium is used to separate metals from ore and is a component of many alloys including aluminum and copper alloys, as well as in making cheese, cement, and mortar.

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vijay kumar honnali
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Applications[edit]

Beryllium is used mainly in military applications,[59] but non-military uses exist. In electronics,
beryllium is used as a p-type dopant in some semiconductors,[60] and beryllium oxide is used as a
high-strength electrical insulator and heat conductor.[61] Beryllium alloys are used for mechanical
parts when stiffness, light weight, and dimensional stability are required over a wide temperature
range.[62][63] Beryllium-9 is used in small-scale neutron sources that use the reaction 9Be + 4He (α)
→ 12C + 1n, the reaction used by James Chadwick when he discovered the neutron. Its low atomic
weight and low neutron absorption cross section would make beryllium suitable as a neutron
moderator, but its high price and the readily available alternatives such as water, heavy
water and nuclear graphite have limited this to niche applications. In the FLiBe eutectic used
in molten salt reactors, beryllium's role as a moderator is more incidental than the desired property
leading to its use.
Magnesium has many uses. It offers advantages over other structural materials such as aluminium,
but magnesium's usage is hindered by its flammability.[64] Magnesium is often alloyed with aluminium,
zinc and manganese to increase it strength and corrosion resistance.[65] Magnesium has many other
industrial applications, such as its role in the production of iron and steel,[further explanation needed] and in
the Kroll process for production of titanium.[66]
Calcium is used as a reducing agent in the separation of other metals such as uranium from ore. It is
a major component of many alloys, especially aluminium and copper alloys, and is also used to
deoxidize alloys. Calcium has roles in the making of cheese, mortars, and cement.[67]
Strontium and barium have fewer applications than the lighter alkaline earth metals. Strontium
carbonate is used in the manufacturing of red fireworks.[68] Pure strontium is used in the study
of neurotransmitter release in neurons.[69][70] Radioactive strontium-90 finds some use in RTGs,[71]
[72]
which utilize its decay heat. Barium is used in vacuum tubes as a getter to remove gases.
[54]
Barium sulfate has many uses in the petroleum industry,[4] and other industries.[4][54][73]
Radium has many former applications based on its radioactivity, but its use is no longer common
because of the adverse health effects and long half-life. Radium was frequently used in luminous
paints,[74] although this use was stopped after it sickened workers.[75] The nuclear quackery that
alleged health benefits of radium formerly led to its addition to drinking water, toothpaste, and many
other products.[64] Radium is no longer used even when its radioactive properties are desired
because its long half-life makes safe disposal challenging. For example, in brachytherapy, short half-
life alternatives such as iridium-192 are usually used instead.[76][77]

Representative reactions of alkaline earth metals[edit]


Reaction with halogens
Ca + Cl2 → CaCl2
Anhydrous calcium chloride is a hygroscopic substance that is used as a desiccant. Exposed to
air, it will absorb water vapour from the air, forming a solution. This property is known
as deliquescence.
Reaction with oxygen
Ca + 1/2O2 → CaO
Mg + 1/2O2 → MgO
Reaction with sulfur
Ca + 1/8S8 → CaS
Reaction with carbon
With carbon, they form acetylides directly. Beryllium forms carbide.
2Be + C → Be2C
CaO + 3C → CaC2 + CO (at 2500 °C in furnace)
CaC2 + 2H2O → Ca(OH)2 + C2H2
Mg2C3 + 4H2O → 2Mg(OH)2 + C3H4
Reaction with nitrogen
Only Be and Mg form nitrides directly.
3Be + N2 → Be3N2
3Mg + N2 → Mg3N2
Reaction with hydrogen
Alkaline earth metals react with hydrogen to generate
saline hydride that are unstable in water.
Ca + H2 → CaH2
Reaction with water
Ca, Sr and Ba readily react with water to
form hydroxide and hydrogen gas. Be and Mg
are passivated by an impervious layer of oxide.
However, amalgamated magnesium will react with
water vapour.
Mg + H2O → MgO + H2

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