Nickel

Elemental Nickel
Ni
Atomic No. - 28

Naturally occurring nickel is composed of five stable isotopes; 58-Ni, 60-Ni, 61-Ni, 62-Ni and 64-Ni with 58-Ni being the most abundant one.

The History Says

The first nickel coin of the pure metal was made in 1881.

The Present Scenario

Nickel is extracted from its ores by conventional roasting and reduction processes which yield a metal of >95% purity. Final purification to >99.99% purity is performed by reacting nickel and carbon monoxide to form nickel carbonyl.

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Nickel is a silvery white metal which takes on a high polish. It belongs to iron group and is hard, ductile and malleable. In nature it occurs combined with sulfur in millerite. In mineral miccolite, it occurs with arsenic and in nickel glance with arsenic and sulfur.

Native nickel is very rare in nature and is always alloyed with iron. For example, iron meteorites contain 6% to 20% nickel. It forms in serpentinized ultramafic rocks from low-temperature hydrothermal activity.

Native nickel was discovered in the year 1967 in samples from Bogata in New Caledonia.

Physical Properties of Nickel

Phase	Solid
Color	Bluish white
Luster	Metallic
Transparency	Opaque
Density (near room temperature)	8.908 g/cm3
Liquid density at melting pointLiquid density at melting point	7.81 g/cm3
Melting point	1728 K (1455°C, 2651°F)
Boiling point	3186 K (2913°C, 5275°F)
Heat of fusion	17.48 kJ/mol
Heat of vaporization	377.5 kJ/mol
Heat capacity	(25°C) 26.07 J/(mol-K)
Cleavage	None
Fracture	Hackly
Streak	Gray metallic
Hardness	4 - 5
Specific gravity	7.8 - 8.2 (heavy even for metallic)

Associated Minerals of Nickel

• Olivine
• Pyroxenes
• Gold
• Platinum
• Some sulfide ores
• Some minerals that are found only in meteorites

Occurrences of Nickel

• New Caledonia
• Arizona and San Diego County California

Uses of Nickel

• Making of austenitic stainless steel.
• As superalloys.
• In alloy steel, rechargeable batteries, catalysts, coinage, foundry products, and plating.
• In armour plates and burglar-proof vaults.
• Alloy alnico is used in magnets.
• In crucibles for chemical laboratories.
• Smart wire, or shape memory alloys are used in robotics.
• Monel metal, a copper-nickel alloy being highly resistant to corrosion is used for ship propellers, kitchen supplies, and chemical industry plumbing.