Just as molybdenum and tungsten were obscure metals until it was found that they alloyed with steel to make a superlatively hard cutting material, so beryllium, discovered in 1797, has until recently remained unnoticed.
Beryllium, next to lithium, is the lightest metal, only 1.84 times as heavy as water, two-thirds as heavy as aluminum. Re-search into means of producing it for less than $100 per Ib. has been spurred by aviation's need of light, strong metals. If a statement last week by Alfred Schwarz, Manhattan businessman, one-time...
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