Beryllium production of the "Ulba Metallurgical Plant" JSC is one of the three enterprises in the world with full production cycle from ore concentrate processing to finished products output with the rated quality set-ups.
Process line developed at the facility allows to convert almost any beryllium containing raw material.
Unique process equipment available at the facility allows to produce wide range of products on Be and its alloys base. Hydro-Static and Gas-Static pressing facilities provide for the production of items with isotropic properties.

Over 50 year experience of the "UMP's" Beryllium production activities, highly qualified staff allow to manufacture products both in compliance with the requirements of traditional customers and with that of the potential customers for Beryllium products. Taking into account swift development of the electronics, communication, automobile, petroleum and gas industries, our facility is active in entering the world market of Beryllium copper and its products with its own products.

During the last four years more than US$ 4 million was invested into the implementation and development of new processes for less cost and more effective techniques of Beryllium production.
Quality assurance system existing at the Beryllium metal and Be master alloys production is certified in accordance with ISO 9001:2000. Today Beryllium master alloys produced at the "Ulba Metallurgical Plant" JSC have the quality level exceeding that of the world analogues.

B-1 Grade

Beryllium content: 99,5 wt. %, min

В-2 Grade

Beryllium content: 99,0 wt. %, min

With the advent of in vitro immunologic testing, we can now detect exposed individuals who are sensitized to beryllium and those who have chronic beryllium disease (CBD) with lung pathology and impairment. Earlier detection and more accurate diagnostic tools raise new questions about the natural history of sensitization and granulomatous disease. Preliminary data suggest that early detection identifies people who are sensitized to beryllium and that these individuals are at risk for progressing into clinical disease. This article discusses the historical, recent, and ongoing studies germane to our understanding of CBD natural history, including the immunologic and inflammatory basis of the disease, the environmental and host risk factors for disease progression, biological markers of disease severity and activity that may help predict outcome, and the implications for broad-based workplace screening to identify patients at the earliest stages of beryllium sensitization and disease.

Beryllium is an ubiquitous element in the environment,
and it has many commercial applications.

Because of its
strength, electrical and thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance,
and nuclear properties, beryllium products are
used in the aerospace, automotive, energy,medical, and electronics
industries.

What eventually came to be known as
chronic beryllium disease (CBD) was Ž rst identiŽ ed in the
1940s, when a cluster of cases was observed in workers from
the � uorescent light industry. The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
recommended the Ž rst 8-hour occupational exposure
limit (OEL) for beryllium of 2.0 ¹g/m3 in 1949, which
was later reviewed and accepted by the America

Keywords Beryllium, Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Exposure
Limit, Occupational Medicine, Chronic Beryllium Disease,
Beryllium Sensitization, Toxicology

Beryllium was not known to have presented a health hazard
until it was used for industrial purposes.

Chronic beryllium disease
(CBD) was Ž rst associated with occupational exposure to
beryllium in the 1940s when a cluster of cases was observed
in workers from the � uorescent light industry.

Occupational
exposure limits (OELs) for beryllium have been applied in the
occupational environment for more than 50 years and have been
used in U.S. regulations for nearly 30 years. The efŽ cacy of the
current beryllium standard of 2.0 ¹g/m3 has been questioned
as a result of recent epidemiological studies that suggest some
workers may developCBDat exposures less than 2.0¹g/m3.(2¡4)
This article presents a review of (1) the occurrence in nature and
industrial uses of beryllium, (2) the regulatory history of beryllium,
(3) the historical and current understanding of the etiology
of CBD, and (4) current and future research initiatives that are
intended to characterize the risk factors associated with CBD.

NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC BERYLLIUM

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