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Boron Cantilever and Ruby Cantilever, Why Ruby?

I have noticed that many of the better cartridges use Boron cantilevers. I know that Soundsmith uses a Ruby cantilever. I was thinkin of having my Benz Wood Body cartridge retipped but was not sure if the different material used for the cantilever will impact compliance and even sound. Why not boron like the original?
tzh21y
lewm
13,359 posts
 
Sorry, John,and anyone else. I did not check the periodic table or even think hard before calling them heavy metals. My bad. Your point about the relative lack of toxicity of Boron (at least in ionic form) was exactly what I was inferring to begin with.
gandme
212 posts
 
I'm getting sick reading this...maybe I'm having a boron or Beryllium reaction to too many LPs being spun....
dhl93449
455 posts
 
With respect to Be, its the oxide(s) that are toxic. For years and years the electronics industry commonly used BeCu (Be copper) alloys in connector pins and relay contacts. But, as with lead (solder), our big brother EPA and other regulatory agencies have decided to ban its use for "our own protection".

Boron is a very common environmental element, and its oxides are harmless for the most part (boraxes). If you measure the composition of "dust" particles, you will find boron as one of the major components besides silicon dioxide. So your are breathing these Boron containing particles in whether you realize it or not.

I am amazed they are using sapphire (ruby) or even diamond as a cantalever material. Besides the cost, these are very brittle and fragile materials.
mechans
3,048 posts
 
Berylium is toxic if it is inhaled only. Thus you can have Be tweeters and so on because the Be does not become airborne.
Dhl93... I used to work in the Jewelry business and have a GG. Niether Saphire or Diamond as a crystal is particularly " very brittle and fragile." How many Diamond rings have you seen break apart? Diamond cantilevers must be the crystaline form to be called "Diamond" otherwise it is just carbon.
nick_sr
263 posts
 
It is fine Berylium particles that are toxic. These get lodged in the lungs and will cause berylliosis a chronique lung disease. Small dosages appear to be sufficient to cause the disease, i.e. exposure to concentrations in the range of 1mg/m3 of air.

This is a serious issue in the mining at metals industries where the beryllium is mixed in trace amounts with other less toxics dusts.

As for exposure to a cantilever made of beryllium, I would not worry.
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