Beryllium use in nuclear reactors - why is it still an interesting research topic?

Glucinium, later named beryllium, was discovered in the late 18th century. Its first use by Chadwick in the 1930s and beryllium moderating properties in the 1940s opened the door for beryllium nuclear applications.

It has been 90 years since its first use in an (α,n) neutron source. Being a common reflector material and occasionally a moderator in research reactors, it is used very successfully as plasma-facing material and a potential tritium breeder for fusion.

Does it mean we know everything about beryllium properties in nuclear applications?

In this short presentation, I will talk about what we have learned about working with beryllium and some recent developments for nuclear use.