Beryllium selenate has the molecular formula of
BeSeO4 and the molecular weight of 224.0354 g/mol. Its
density is 2.03 g/cm3. If prepared in solution, the formula
is likely to be (BeOH)2SeO4·4H2O. Nevertheless, the literature
persists in relating the compound produced as
BeSeO4. The addition of beryllium carbonate and sodium carbonate to a selenic acid solution is sufficient to form
the tetrahydrate:
BeCO3(solid)+ Na2CO3(solid)+H2SeO4(aq)
? (BeOH)2SeO4·4H2O(solid)+ 2NaOH(aq)
+ CO2(gas)
It is soluble in water and the solution must be evaporated
to obtain the crystalline salt. Beryllium selenate
tetrahydrate has the CAS number of 10039-31-3 and
a molecular weight of 267.0582 g/mol. Its density is
2.032 g/cm3 and it is very soluble in water (49.6 g/
100 ml at 20 °C).
