Nickel: Extraction, Properties and Application

Nickel is a chemical element with the atomic number 28 and the symbol Ni.

• It is a shiny silvery-white metal with a slight golden tinge.
• Nickel is a ductile and hard transition metal.
• Although pure nickel is chemically reactive, large pieces react slowly with air under normal conditions.
• This is because a passivation layer of nickel oxide accumulates on the surface, preventing further corrosion.
• Pure native nickel is only found in small amounts in the crust of the Earth.
• They are often found in ultramafic rocks and the interiors of larger nickel-iron meteorites that were not exposed to oxygen while outside the Earth's atmosphere.

Key Terms: Nickel, Atomic Number, Mass number, Density, Transition metal, Chemical elements, Electronic configuration, Melting point, Boiling point

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Discovery of Nickel

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When Baron Axel Fredrik Cronstedt was working on a new metal that came from a mine near Los, Hälsingland, Sweden, he initially assumed it was copper.

• As a result, nickel was previously known as "Kupfer Nickel”.
• However, in 1754, a Swedish scientist and mineralogist experimented with heating "Kupfernickel" with charcoal and discovered a variety of qualities, including being magnetic and white in colour.
• Cronstedt is thus the first to separate and extract nickel as a new element.
• He eventually dropped the nickname "Kupfer" and renamed the newly discovered element nickel.

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Extraction of Nickel

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Nickel may be easily produced using typical metallurgical cold and hot working processes.

• Nickel sulphide (NiS) is found in the majority of nickel ores.
• The nickel sulphide in these minerals is converted to nickel oxide when they are heated in the air.
• Furthermore, when nickel oxide is treated with a chemical, oxygen is removed, resulting in pure nickel.
• New Caledonia, Russia, South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Sudbury basin of Canada are home to the bulk of nickel deposit mines.

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Basic Properties of Nickel

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The basic properties of nickel are

• Nickel is ferromagnetic, indicating it magnetizes easily at room temperature.
• It is malleable as well as ductile.
• Nickel's resistance to heat, oxidation, and corrosion is one of its finest qualities.
• Its chemical name is Ni, and its colour is silver-white with a golden tone.
• The atomic number of nickel is 28.
• Nickel has a melting point of 2,831°F (1,555°C) and a boiling temperature of about 5,135°F (2,835°C).
• Nickel in its purest form reacts with oxygen.

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Chemical Properties of Nickel

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The chemical properties of nickel are listed below:

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Applications of Nickel

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The following are the applications of nickel

• Stainless steel production accounts for over 65% of total nickel output.
• The Ni element can be found in a variety of batteries, including nickel-metal hydride batteries and rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries.
• Nickel is a good material for making wires since it is malleable and flexible, according to its qualities.
• Superalloys made by combining Ni with iron or cobalt are utilised in gas turbines and jet engine parts.
• Nickel is found in a wide range of appliances and everyday products, including hand-held power tools, camcorders, scanner radios, guitar strings, laptops, and cellular and cordless telephones.
• Copper-nickel alloy is extensively used in desalination plants to convert seawater to freshwater.
• Nickel dimethylglyoxime compound is used as a colouring ingredient in cosmetics, paints, and some types of polymers.
• Nickel is also used to electroplate other metals, which is a significant application of this natural chemical.

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Things to Remember

• Nickel is a transition metal that is extracted from two ores: laterites and magmatic sulphides.
• Nickel gets its name from the German word "Kupfernickel," which translates to "devil's copper.
• Nickel is extremely useful in the manufacture of a wide range of goods, including military equipment, wires, and coins.
• New Caledonia, Russia, South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Sudbury basin of Canada are home to the bulk of nickel deposit mines.
• Nickel is ferromagnetic, indicating it magnetises easily at room temperature.
• Nickel dimethylglyoxime compound is used as a colouring ingredient in cosmetics, paints, and some types of polymers

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