Differences Between PVD-style acoustic domes and Truextent® brand acoustic beryllium domes

Truextent® brand acoustic beryllium domes bend under pressure - they don't shatter

 

It is well known that beryllium is an excellent acoustic material, but not all acoustic beryllium is created equal.

Electrofusion's Truextent® brand acoustic beryllium is much more durable than physical vapor deposited (PVD) beryllium due to its structural and mechanical properties. The PVD process gives the beryllium dome a relatively coarse, columnar grain structure, which tends to be quite fragile and break into pieces when fractured. The Truextent brand acoustic beryllium domes are manufactured from rolled beryllium foil, which has a relatively fine grain structure that is oriented in the plane of the foil (or dome surface).

 

 This fundamental difference in grain structure causes significant differences in the mechanical properties of the materials and makes the Truextent brand acoustic beryllium much more durable and much less likely to cause EH&S concerns at failure. While vapor deposited beryllium used in acoustic applications typically has a failure mode causing the dome to shatter and creates multiple pieces of large and small sizes (often referred to as "cornflakes"), the failure mode of Truextent brand acoustic beryllium is to simply dent, rip, or split. 

 

 

 

When a Truextent® brand acoustic beryllium dome does break, it rips instead of shattering

 

 

Click here to see a video of a Truextent® brand acoustic beryllium dome bending when abused