Discovery and Occurrence
- Discovered in 1751 in Stockholm, Sweden by A.F. Cronstedt from the ore kupfernickel (niccolite).
- Mainly occurs in arsenic and sulfide ores.
- Extracted by roasting to NiO and then reducing with carbon.
- Abundance of 80 ppm in the Earth’s crust.
Properties
- Silver-white metal.
- Hard, malleable, and ductile.
- Ferromagnetic up to 360 °C.
- Fair electrical conductivity (25% that of copper) and heat conductivity.
- Belongs to the iron-cobalt group of metals.
- Highly resistant to atmospheric corrosion.
- Resists most acids but is attacked by oxidizing acids like nitric acid.
Isotopes
- Natural nickel is a mixture of five stable isotopes.
- Nine unstable isotopes are known.
Toxicity
- Nickel carbonyl is highly toxic, and exposure should be limited.
- Fumes and dust of nickel sulfide are recognized as having carcinogenic potential.
Applications
- Alloys
- Principal use as an alloying element in stainless steels, alloy steels, non-ferrous metals, and corrosion-resistant alloys (e.g., Invar, Monel, Inconel, Nichrome, Permalloy, Hastelloys).
- Coatings
- Nickel coatings can be deposited electrolytically by electroplating or chemically by electroless deposition.
- Desalination
- Tubing for desalination plants.
- Coinage
- Used in coinage.
- Armour and Vault Metals
- Added to armour plate and burglarproof vault metals.
- Glass
- Used in glass to produce a green color.
- Catalyst
- Used as a catalyst for hydrogenating vegetable oils.
- Ceramics
- Used in ceramic manufacturing.
- Magnets
- Used in Alnico magnets.
- Batteries
- Used in storage batteries, such as nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries, used in mobile phones and personal stereo equipment.
- High Purity Applications
- High-purity nickels are used in electronic and aerospace applications, chemical and food processing equipment, anodes and cathodes, caustics evaporators, and heat shields.
- Aerospace
- Used in aircraft turbines components.
- Beryllium Nickel
- Used for springs, switches, bellows, diaphragms, and small valves.
- Temperature Measurement
- Used in thermometer bulbs and resistance thermometers.
- Seals
- Used in glass-to-metal and ceramic-to-metal seals.
- Industrial Equipment
- Used in marine, petroleum, and chemical processing equipment (e.g., Monels).
- Incineration
- Used in incineration systems.
- Superalloys
- Used in controlled expansion nickel superalloys.
- Paramagnetic Alloys and Shape Memory Alloys
- Used in various applications such as fire-sprinkler actuators, tap water anti-scalding devices, green house window hinges, flow regulators, spacecraft solar-panel releases, toys, and underwire brassieres.
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