Nickel is a chemical element with the symbol Ni and atomic number 28. Here is some Basic Knowledge of Nickel:
Properties:
Nickel is a silver-white metal with a slight golden tinge. It is malleable, ductile, and has a high melting point. It is ferromagnetic at room temperature and exhibits good corrosion resistance.
Occurrence:
Nickel is found in the Earth’s crust and is predominantly obtained from two types of ore deposits: sulfide deposits and laterite deposits. The major nickel-producing countries include Indonesia, the Philippines, Russia, Canada, and Australia.
Uses:
Nickel is a versatile metal with numerous applications. It is primarily used in the production of stainless steel, which accounts for about 70% of global nickel consumption. Nickel is also used in alloys, such as nickel-copper (Monel), nickel-chromium (Nichrome), and nickel-iron (Invar), which exhibit various desirable properties for specific applications. Additionally, nickel is utilized in rechargeable batteries, catalysts, coins, and electroplating.
Nickel is used in large quantities to make alloys. Adding nickel to steel can improve mechanical strength. For example, when the nickel content in steel increases from 294% to 7.04%, the tensile strength increases from 522 kg/mm2 to 728 kg/mm3. Nickel steel is used to make parts of the machine that are subjected to high pressure, impact, and reciprocating load, such as turbine blades, crankshafts, connecting rods, etc. Nickel steel with 36% nickel and 0.3-05% carbon has a very small expansion coefficient, almost no thermal expansion or contraction.
It is used to manufacture a variety of precision machinery, precision gauges, etc. The high-nickel steel with 46% nickel and 015% carbon is called “platinum-like” because its expansion coefficient is similar to platinum and glass. This high-nickel steel can be welded into the glass. It is very important in bulb production and can be used as a substitute for platinum wire. Some precision lens frames are also made of this platinum-like steel, and the lenses will not fall out of the frame due to thermal expansion and contraction. An alloy composed of 675% nickel, 16% iron, 15% chromium, and 15% manganese has a large electrical resistance and is used to make various varistors and electric heaters.
Health and Environment:
Nickel is an essential trace element for several living organisms, including humans. However, exposure to high levels of nickel can be harmful. Some individuals may develop allergic reactions or contact dermatitis when exposed to nickel-containing materials. Nickel compounds are also known to be toxic to aquatic organisms.
History:
Nickel has been used by humans for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations, such as the Chinese and Egyptians, made use of a naturally occurring nickel alloy known as “nickel silver” or “German silver.” The element itself was isolated and classified as a distinct metal in the 18th century.
Isotopes:
Nickel has five stable isotopes: nickel-58, nickel-60, nickel-61, nickel-62, and nickel-64. Additionally, several radioactive isotopes of nickel exist, with nickel-59 being the most stable among them.
Nickel Alloys:
Nickel alloys offer excellent resistance to corrosion, heat, and wear, making them suitable for a wide range of applications. For example, Inconel, a nickel-chromium-based superalloy, is used in high-temperature environments such as jet engines and gas turbines. Hastelloy, another nickel-based alloy, exhibits exceptional resistance to corrosion and is used in chemical processing equipment.
Titanium-nickel alloy has the ability of “memory”, and the memory is very strong. After a long period of time, it can be repeated tens of millions of times without error. Its “memory” ability is to remember its original shape, so people call it “shape memory alloy”. It turns out that this alloy has a characteristic transition temperature. Above the transition temperature, it has a structure, and below the transition temperature, it has another structure.
The structure is different, the performance is also different. For example, a titanium-nickel memory alloy, when it is above the transformation temperature, is very hard and strong, but below this temperature, it is very soft and easy to cold work. In this way, when we need it to remember any shape, we make it into that shape. This is its “permanent memory” shape. Below the transition temperature, because it is soft, we can make it to a considerable extent. It can be arbitrarily deformed. And when it needs to return to its original shape, just heat it above the transition temperature.
Nickel is magnetic and can be attracted by magnets. Alloys made of aluminum, cobalt, and nickel are more magnetic. When this alloy is attracted by an electromagnet, not only will it be attracted to itself, but something sixty times heavier than it will be hung under it, and it will not fall. In this way, it can be used to make electromagnetic cranes. Most of the nickel salts are green. Nickel hydroxide is brown-black, and nickel oxide is gray-black. Nickel oxide is often used to make iron-nickel alkaline batteries.