FREMONT, Calif., Dec 03, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- As the world's largest particle accelerator prepares to recreate the
conditions just after the Big Bang, which many scientists theorize was
the massive explosion that formed the universe, teams of physicists
around the world will be relying on beryllium beam pipes from Brush
Wellman Inc.'s Electrofusion Products Inc. group in Fremont, California,
to ensure high energy collisions of subatomic particles that they hope
will change the very nature of their understanding of physics.
The $10 billion Large Hadron Collider (LHC), located 100 meters
underground near Geneva, is a particle accelerator through which two
beams of subatomic particles called "hadrons" will travel in opposite
directions inside a 17-mile tunnel, gaining energy as they go. When the
beams collide, physicists will analyze the particles created by the
collisions.
Beryllium beam pipes produced by Electrofusion are currently installed
in three of the four main experiments at which the beams will collide.
Electrofusion will also be providing a beryllium beam pipe in late 2010
as a replacement for the existing beam pipe in the fourth main detector,
LHCb.
"It's not every day you get a call asking to help discover how the
universe was created," said Edward Hefter, Managing Director,
Electrofusion Products Inc.
The beryllium in the beam pipes is virtually transparent to the
subatomic particles that the collider's builder, the European
Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), is searching for because of
its low atomic number and low density. Those properties make beryllium
the material of choice surrounding the collision region in collider
particle physics experiments. Low density allows the particles of
interest to the experiment to reach the detectors around it without
significant interference. Additionally, beryllium's stiffness allows it
to remain dimensionally stable, even with the required Ultra High Vacuum
(UHV) inside.
Some of the other benefits of using beryllium include its thermal
stability, which allows it to perform well at temperatures only a few
degrees above absolute zero; its low atomic number, which keeps it from
becoming radioactive with all of the radiation bombarding it; and, its
lack of magnetism, which allows the system of multi-pole magnets to
steer and focus the particle beam without interference.
Although Electrofusion has been building beryllium beam pipes since
1973, these LHC projects demanded a much higher level of precision and
more advanced techniques from Electrofusion than ever before.
"As with all projects of this sophistication and magnitude,
collaboration and communication between CERN and Electrofusion was
essential," said Hefter.
Unlike beam pipes used in other projects, these are buried deep within
the Collider, surrounded by layer upon layer of detectors, thermal
systems, cabling and structural supports. The resulting limited future
accessibility meant that CERN engineers needed to do everything possible
to minimize the possibility of failure.
As an example, previous to the LHC project, the beryllium portions of
the beam pipes were joined to aluminum and stainless steel sections
using an atmosphere brazing technique. However, due to materials
introduced during the typical beam pipe brazing process, the risk of
contamination or leaks during operation concerned the engineers at CERN.
Electrofusion was therefore encouraged to investigate alternative
joining processes for the LHC beam pipes. In response, Electrofusion
developed processes for joining beryllium to beryllium and beryllium to
aluminum using electron beam welding. Joining beryllium to stainless
steel was achieved by vacuum furnace brazing.
Although these improved joining techniques minimized contamination and
leakage concerns, they brought with them a new challenge: how to predict
and compensate for the distortion of beam pipe sections during the newly
developed joining processes. The mechanical tolerance specifications
were extremely challenging so Electrofusion developed sophisticated
tooling coupled with complex theoretical calculations to achieve the end
result.
"Working together, we overcame manufacturing challenges and met the very
demanding tolerance callouts specified by the project engineers and the
limitations of precision manufacturing," said Hefter. "We're looking
forward to future modifications and improvements that will make LHC
experiments even more productive."
Brush Wellman Inc., headquartered in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Brush Engineered Materials Inc. (NYSE: BW).
Through its subsidiaries, Brush Engineered Materials supplies highly
engineered advanced enabling materials to global markets. Products
include precious and non-precious specialty metals, inorganic chemicals
and powders, specialty coatings, specialty engineered beryllium alloys,
beryllium and beryllium composites, and engineered clad and plated metal
systems.
SOURCE: Brush Wellman Inc.
Brush Engineered Materials Inc.
Investors:
Michael C. Hasychak, 216-383-6823
or
Media:
Patrick S. Carpenter, 216-383-6835
or
http://www.beminc.com
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