Nickel alloys can withstand high temperatures and pressures, making them suitable to be used in high-performance equipment, like jet-engine blades.The Mond process is used to obtain pure metal from nickel oxide, which gives the metal a purity of over 99.99%. Ludwig Mond patented this method that has been in use since the early 20th century.The chemical element Nickel is a metal with the atomic number 28, and Ni is its symbol. This lustrous element is a silvery-white metal and has a slight gold tinge. Nickel is a ductile and hard transition metal. Although large Nickel reacts slowly under the standard conditions of air, due to an oxide layer on the surface preventing corrosion, powdered metal experiences high chemical activity as it has a large surface area. Earth’s crust has tiny amounts of pure Nickel from large nickel-iron meteorites, which weren’t exposed to oxygen in the outer atmosphere and are ultramafic rocks. It is one of the four elements, including Gadolinium, Iron, and Cobalt, which display ferromagnetism at room temperature. As Nickel ores are easily confused with Copper and Silver, their use was only discovered in recent times. However, there are records of the unintentional use of Nickel around 3,500 BCE. This metal is obtained through extractive metallurgy.If you enjoy reading these facts about the characteristics of Nickel, then make sure to read some more interesting facts about how much a nickel weighs and the characteristics of Mercury here at Kidadl.When was Nickel discovered?The organonickel compound called Nickelocene is unstable as it has 20 electrons.A metallic yellow mineral was discovered in medieval Germany in the ore mountains or Erzgebirge, resembling a Copper ore. However, miners could not extract any Copper out of it and blamed the mischievous Nickel, a German mythological sprite. They named this ore ‘kupfernickel’ (devil’s Copper), which is now the nickeline (Nickel arsenide). The arsenic present in Nickel arsenide (devil’s Copper) was discovered by Axel Cronstedt, a Swedish chemist in the 70s. Above the Curie temperature, 671 F (355 C), Nickel is non-magnetic. The characteristic colors of most Nickel compounds are green and blue that are often hydrated.Nickel ore deposits are found in Australia, Indonesia, Cuba, and Ontario. Nickel is also one of the main elements within the Earth’s core as it is believed to be made of Iron and Nickel (liquid state). Most Nickel for industrial use is through ores like garnierite, limonite, and pentlandite. The electron configuration of Nickel is - [Ar] 3d84s2. This Nickel metal is placed in the fourth row or period on the periodic table. There are 28 protons, 28 electrons, and 30 neutrons in Nickel atoms within the most abundant isotope.Nickel is magnetic and is attracted to magnets. A combination of Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), and Aluminum (Al) forms an alnico magnet, which is a powerful magnet that can retain its magnetism even if heated until it turns red. The soft magnetic alloy Mu-metal contains around 80% Nickel and 20% Iron with little molybdenum. It has a high permeability, allowing it to protect sensitive electronic appliances against low-frequency or static magnetic fields. Placing this Mu-metal between metal and a magnet will decrease its normal attraction.Is Nickel safe?The solid melting point of Nickel (Ni) is 2,651 F (1,455 C).The heat of vaporization and heat of fusion are 90.6 kcal/mol (379 kJ/mol) and 4.17 kcal/mol (17.48 kJ/mol), respectively. The ionization energy and heat of atomization are 176.1 kcal/mol (737.1 kJ/mol) and 102.7 kcal/mol (430 kJ/mol), respectively.The first large-scale Nickel smelting site came to Norway in 1848. The type of Nickel ore that was used there was pyrrhotite. Large Nickel deposits were found in 1883 in the Sudbury basin, Canada, and almost 30% of the world’s Nickel is mined in this place today. It is thought that Nickel in such a large deposit is because of an ancient meteor impact. Around the early 1900s, more Nickel was discovered in Russia and South Africa.People working on Nickel welding, electroplating, and refining are at great risk of health issues. Nickel exposure and breathing in small amounts of Nickel dust will lead to fibrosis, lung cancer, and other serious ailments. Around 25 Nickel plating workers of Egypt in 2015 were tested for their liver functions. Results showed poor liver function in these workers when compared to the control group. Another study conducted in Saudi Arabia showed toxic impacts of Nickel exposure on airways and lungs. However, they were also able to find that ingesting the active ingredient, called dietary curcumin found in turmeric, significantly reduced oxidative stress and toxicity.Nickel compounds (like Nickel carbonyl and Nickel sulfide) are considered to be carcinogenic. Nickel carbonyl is also a very toxic gas. Around 10-20% of people are sensitive to this element. Dermatitis or skin complaints are caused by repeated Nickel contact. Nickel is found in jewelry, and people with sensitive skin must avoid it. Contact with Nickel compound causes nasal and lung cancers and chronic bronchitis.Odd Characteristic Of NickelAn odd characteristic of Nickel is that Nickel occurs on Earth in combination with Iron and sulfur in pentlandite, sulfur and arsenic in Nickel Galen, and mineral neckline with arsenic.Chief ores in which Nickel elements are present include niccolite (nickel arsenic), millerite (nickel sulfide), garnierite, pyrrhotite, and pentlandite. Five stable isotopes are currently known. In the form of metal, the Nickel element is chemically unreactive. It is insoluble in ammonia, cold and hot water and is also unaffected by concentrated alkalis and nitric acid. However, it is sparingly soluble in sulfuric and diluted hydrochloric acids, soluble in diluted nitric acid.Nickel mainly forms divalent compounds as its vital oxidation state is +2. However, certain Nickel compounds have a metal oxidation state between -1 and +4. Nickel hydroxide is typically a green crystal, which can be precipitated by adding aqueous alkali to Nickel (II) salt solution. Although insoluble in water, this compound dissolves easily in ammonium hydroxide and acids. Nickel oxide occurs as a powdery green solid, which turns yellow when heated. It is hard to make this compound by just heating Nickel in oxygen but can be conveniently produced by heating Nickel carbonate, hydroxide, and nitrate.Nickel tetra-carbonyl is a highly toxic compound, which is formed when Nickel reacts with carbon monoxide at high temperatures. Nickel is extremely flammable, particularly at high temperatures.Useful Characteristics Of NickelAn essential characteristic of Nickel is that copper-nickel alloy tubes are used in desalination plants. Copper-nickel alloy is naturally resistant to biofouling and corrosion by seawater.This silvery-white metal has many uses and is an essential element. The first coin made of nearly pure Nickel was made by Switzerland in 1881, and the biggest Nickel producer in the world. Canada produced a 99.9% Nickel coin of five cents around 1922-1981. Nickel is heat and corrosion-resistant, which is why they are used to make coins, wires, and military equipment. Coins are still made out of Nickel alloys. It can resist tarnish in the air and take on a high polish.Other metals get Nickel plating for protection against rusting. Finely divided Nickel is a catalyst that hydrogenates vegetable oils. Nickel steel is used in manufacturing vaults that are burglar-proof and armor plates. A Nickel alloy called nitinol remembers its previous shape. If nitinol wire is heated at 932 F (500 C), it can be bent into any shape. Then allow the wire to cool down and bend it into another shape. When you reheat the wire as the third step, you will see it take its first shape.The world uses Nickel as 3% in foundries, 7% in alloy steel, 9% in electroplating, 10% in non-ferrous alloys, and 68% in stainless steel, with 4% for other uses. Nickel is used for making alnico magnets, electric guitar strings, plumbing fixture platings, and microphone capsules. Special alloys like Elinvar, permalloy, and invar also contain Nickel. Nickel compounds are also used in many applications. Nickel is used in rechargeable batteries such as nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) and nickel-cadmium (NiCad).Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked learning about the characteristics of Nickel, then why not take a look at our fun facts about what the only metallic element that is liquid at room temperature is or what the smallest particle of an element is?
Nickel alloys can withstand high temperatures and pressures, making them suitable to be used in high-performance equipment, like jet-engine blades.
