This paper reports the results of chemical reactivity experiments for Be pe
bbles (2-mm and 0.2-mm diameter) and Be powder (14-31 mum diameter) exposed
to steam at elevated temperatures, 350 to 900 degreesC for pebbles and 400
to 500 degreesC for powders. We measured BET specific surface areas of 0.1
2 m(2)/g for 2-mm pebbles, 0.24 m(2)/g for 0.2mm pebbles and 0.66 to 1.21 m
(2)/g for Be powder samples. These experiments showed a complex reactivity
behavior for the material, dependent primarily on the test temperature. Ave
rage H-2 generation rates for powder samples, based on measured BET surface
areas, were in good agreement with previous measurements for fully-dense C
PM-Be. Rates for the Be pebbles, based on measured BET surface areas, were
systematically lower than the CPM-Be rates, possibly because of different s
urface and bulk features for the pebbles, especially surface-layer impuriti
es, that contribute to the measured BET surface area and influence the oxid
ation process at the material surface.