Beryllium carbide
Beryllium carbide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula. It is a metal carbide. Similar to diamond, it is a very hard compound. It is used in nuclear reactors as a core material.
Preparation
Beryllium carbide is prepared by heating the elements beryllium and carbon at elevated temperatures. It also may be prepared by reduction of beryllium oxide with carbon at a temperature above 1,500°C:Beryllium carbide decomposes very slowly in water and forms methane gas:
The rate of decomposition is faster in mineral acids with evolution of methane.
In hot concentrated alkali the reaction is very rapid, forming alkali metal beryllates and methane: