SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION OF BERYLLIUM BY FRACTIONAL SUBLIMATION OF BERYLLIUM ACETYLACETONATE

Solutions containing beryllium(II) in admixture with most common metals can be treated with acetylacetone to form the beryllium and various other acetyl-acetonates which precipitate. The precipitate is filtered, washed, dried and fractionally sublimed in a special sublimator. After sublimation with air as a carrier gas the beryllium acetylacetonate fraction is recoverable in high purity. Zinc is the only detectable contaminant by atomic absorption spectrometry but can be eliminated by masking with ammonium thiocyanate before the formation of the metal acetylacetonates. Beryllium fractions were checked for purity by atomic absorption spectrometry and found to contain less than 0.002% Zn after a single sublimation. The method appears to offer an excellent method of purification for beryllium if quantitative recoveries are not required. © 1969.