Beryllium’s unique properties make it the material of choice for components at the heart of research reactors that produce radiopharmaceuticals used in medical nuclear imaging. With the therapeutic radiopharmaceutical market projected to increase by 30% annually through 2030, according to a new report from MEDraysintell, demand for these components should continue to increase. Materion recently filled an $8 million order for the modernization of Belgium’s BR2 reactor, which accounts for around one quarter of world production of the most important radiopharmaceuticals. There may be lower-cost alternatives to beryllium, but they usually do not measure up when it comes to performance.
