Why specifically 'Berrylium' was banned?

[freud]

I fail to understand the logic behind FIA banning the use of Berrylium linings in the engines. The explanation given was that Berrylium is a 'toxic metal' which is emmitted in the fumes. Fact remains that fumes coming out of f1 cars show particles more toxic than Berrylium (Hydrocarbons, Paraldehydes, Aromatic amines, etc)

Berrylium was specifically used by Ilmore (Mercedez Benz) in their engine linings and since its banning, Mercedez have slumped behind Ferrari and BMW. It only proves one point... that FIA wanted to take the advantage away from Mclarens and pave the way for Ferrari to win titles.

Does anyone have any other explanation? Thanks.

[alfasud]

What about because is was toxic.... just like they said? If you've done any work with electronic components - e.g. RF power transistors in radio transmitters, there are often specific warnings on the covers that the circuit contains berrylium and should not be cut, scratched etc. This is nothing new, these warning labels date back to equipment produced in the 1970's at least [trust me, those labels weren't put there by Ferrari].

Now I'm sure that it isn't safe to eat or inhale all the other components in a RF power amplifier either, but the berrylium is considered to be particulaly bad.

The exhaust fumes are only one area, there are risks in manufacturing and engine maintenance and of course if you have an engine blow up, you could release quite large amounts. If you allowed it, all the engines would be using it within a couple of years, no one would have any advantage and it would be just one more danger.

[freud]

I believe if thats the case than the use of 'hydrocarbons' emmitting from the fumes of those engines must be 'banned'. Berrylium might affects 20 people working in the factory while these hydrocarbons are directly affecting the 'respiratory passages' & 'Central nervous systems'of more than 100,000 people who attend a GP weekend. From environmental degradation to ozone layer depletion to Respiratory and cerberal poisoning... the affects the mind-blowing.

Berrylium poisoning could've been prevented by extra precautionary measures while engine manufacturing. Just to ban one particluar metal (FW gave a list of 50 more dangerous particles emmitted in fumes) doesnt make any logical sense.

[Morris 1100]

Berrylium has been in use in race engines for years and still is.
You can bet that most cars in the top classes are using it! Most times they would not even realise it!

CAMS in Australia sent out a warning to engine builders that a lot of valve seats for use in competition have Berrylium coatings and it can be dangerous when recutting the seats.

Just because Ferrari could not work out how to coat cylinders was the reason that F1 banned it!

[alfasud]

Thanks Morris 1100, that was interesting. I guess the amount used in valve seats is a little less than the cylinder liners/coatings in a 3.0L V10. It would be interesting to know what form it is used and what is the method of applying the beryllium coatings. I'm not a doctor or health specialist so I can't speak with any authority about what materials are the most hazardous, but in 20 years in the Telecommunications industry (Land Mobile, Microwave, GSM etc) I've seen a lot of hazard warnings and High Voltage, Microwave Radiation and Beryllium compounds were the most common (Polychlorinated biphenyls (PBC) is another, but less common in my experience).

RF power transistors containing beryllium were only component (back when I was working at component level) that I remember, where we had to collect the old ones and place in a special container for safe disposal.

To quote the safety instructions at CERN "Beryllium is the most toxic of all industrial metals".
http://tis-div.web.cern.ch/tis-div/s...5/is25_en.html

This is nasty stuff and CAMS are quite correct to warn people about it. And I think the FIA were quite correct to ban it at a time when it was only going to affect one team, rather than wait for everyone to start using it throughout the engine.

On the other hand, I don't really believe anyone here is serious about banning hydrocarbons from formula 1.

[freud]

Originally posted by Morris 1100

Just because Ferrari could not work out how to coat cylinders was the reason that F1 banned it!

yeah Morris, that seems like the most logical and correct explanation we can come up with.

[Morris 1100]

On the other hand.
You also have to think that on the cylinder liners the rings are rubbing up and down on the surface slowly rubbing the coating off whereas on a valve seat the valve is not rubbing it is just hitting the coating........

[Total-F1]

As far as I understood it, and it's the least technical explanation you can think of - is that Ferrari complained to the FIA, and the FIA banned it on the pretext of it being an expensive exotic metal, and it was trying to prevent such engine costs from spiralling out of control.

It was one in a string of cases where McLaren had prior approval from the FIA for such a development, only for the FIA to turn back later on and ban it.

[freud]

To be honest, it's a case of political weights. Mclarens & Ron Dennis are not in good books of Max Mosely & Ecclestone since 1998. Its basically an issue of power and abuse of power.