Nickel is a transition metal, lustrous, silvery white with gold, solid at room temperature, with a boiling point of 2730°C and a melting point of 1455°C. It is ferromagnetic, hard, corrosion and rust resistant, and malleable. Since nickel occurs naturally, it must be mined from the ground. Nickel is mainly obtained by extractive metallurgy. Extractive metallurgy is the process of extracting desired metals from ores and refining them to make the extracted metals purer.
1. Classification of nickel
Because of its desirable properties, nickel is often combined with other elements to form alloys. Some alloying materials include, but are not limited to: chromium, cobalt, copper, and iron. The most common nickel alloy is stainless steel. It is mainly composed of iron, 18% chromium and 8% nickel. The common ones are Hastelloy, Inconel Alloy, Invar Alloy and Monel Alloy.
2. Nickel application
The main purpose of nickel is to combine with iron, copper, chromium and other metals to form alloy materials with high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, low thermal expansion coefficient, good ductility, high tensile strength, good malleability and good conductivity. Nickel alloys are mainly used in aviation, marine, chemical, medical and energy industries. Products such as color TVs, communication equipment, surgical instruments, combustion chambers, and turbine engine disks are all made of nickel and nickel alloys. Pure nickel can also be used in electroplating and bonding agents.
3. Disadvantages of nickel
Nickel is naturally occurring and can only be obtained through mining. The negative consequences of mining will affect the natural and human environment. Moreover, nickel alloys such as Inconel are difficult to form and their maintenance costs are not low.
In conclusion, nickel products are very durable and 100% recyclable, and are vital in construction and certain equipment used in industries such as power and communications. It is tough, corrosion resistant, hygienic and useful in the medical industry. Rarely used in its purest form, nickel is often combined with other metals to form alloys that provide ductility and strength at high temperatures.
