How did float zoning change the mechanical properties of beryllium?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

zone melting Figure 1: Schematic representation of (A) normal freezing, (B) zone refining

Float zoning significantly altered the mechanical properties of beryllium by transforming it from a material that is normally very hard and brittle into one that is highly ductile. Specifically, after undergoing float zoning in a high vacuum using an electron beam to create the molten zone, a half-inch bar of the metal could be easily bent 360° by hand.1

This process achieves such results by using zone melting techniques to reach extremely high levels of purity, which allows for the determination of a substance's intrinsic properties. By eliminating impurities that contribute to brittleness, the metal's physical characteristics are fundamentally improved.1