Project brings material capability back to United States

  • Published
  • By Tim Anderl
  • Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Directorate
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Air Force Research Laboratory engineers, in partnership with industry, reestablished a domestic manufacturing capability for primary (high-purity) beryllium metal. Manufactured at a new reduction plant in Elmore, Ohio, beryllium is a critical component in several Department of Defense applications.
 
"Airborne forward looking infrared (FLIR) systems for fighter aircraft and attack helicopters, guidance systems on existing strategic missiles, structures and components for surveillance satellites, and guidance systems and components for ballistic missile defense systems, are all DOD applications that rely on the use of beryllium," said Howard Sizek, the program manager for the Defense Production Act Title III, who oversaw the beryllium project. "Beryllium's specific thermal conductivity makes its composites ideally suited for weight-driven airborne heat-sink applications."

The Air Force is the executive agent for the Title III program, a government-funded venture that assists manufacturers that specialize in materials used for defense applications.

"Production capabilities that would otherwise be inadequate are transformed to support the material requirements of defense programs in a timely and affordable manner. Beryllium was an ideal candidate for the program," Sizek said.

The project employed a multi-phase approach to ensurea competitive and commercially viable process for the manufacture of primary beryllium. In 2010, the facility opened and has since demonstrated the production capability of high-purity beryllium at the rate of 160,000 pounds per year. The plant produced nearly 11,000 pounds of beryllium pebbles during the first quarter of 2013. The material is now fully qualified and being used in strategic DOD applications.

"The direct and indirect benefits to defense programs resulting from Title III initiatives are substantial, and Title III projects create numerous economic and technological benefits for domestic industries and consumers," Sizek said.