nickel

nickel
Name	Nickel
Atomic number	28
Atomic weight	58.6934
Phase	Solid
Category	Transition metal
Appearance	Silvery-white metal

nickel is a silvery-white transition metal with atomic number 28 notable for its strength, corrosion resistance, and magnetic properties. It is widely used in alloys, plating, batteries, and catalysts, and plays a role in modern industry and geopolitics. Major producers, research centers, and historical figures have shaped its extraction, trade, and technological applications.

Characteristics

Nickel is a lustrous, ductile element that crystallizes in a face-centered cubic lattice and exhibits ferromagnetism at room temperature similar to iron and cobalt. Its physical properties include high tensile strength and corrosion resistance, which made it central to development of stainless steels used in World War II manufacturing and postwar reconstruction projects associated with the Marshall Plan. Chemically, nickel forms +2 and +3 oxidation states among others, a behavior studied at laboratories like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Oxford. Industrial standards and material specifications from organizations including International Organization for Standardization and American Society for Testing and Materials govern its use in components for companies like Boeing and General Electric.

Occurrence and Production

Nickel occurs in lateritic and magmatic sulfide deposits; notable mining regions include Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Canada, and Australia. Major historical operations such as the mines on Baffin Island and the Sudbury Basin near Toronto transformed regional economies and relations with governments like the Canadian government. Mining companies including Vale S.A., Glencore, BHP, and Norilsk Nickel dominate production and global trade, which is influenced by markets in Shanghai and policy decisions by institutions like the World Trade Organization. Extraction methods range from open-pit laterite processing in facilities similar to those owned by Jinchuan Group to underground sulfide mining near deposits explored by Inco Limited and technologies developed at research centers like CSIRO.

Applications

Nickel is a primary component in stainless steels and high-temperature superalloys used by manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce and Siemens for gas turbines and jet engines, including parts supplied to Airbus and Lockheed Martin. Battery chemistries like nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride powered products from companies including Panasonic and Toyota, and nickel is pivotal in modern lithium-ion cathodes used by firms such as Tesla and LG Chem. Electroplating and corrosion protection employing nickel coatings are common in Apple electronics and automotive components from Toyota and Ford Motor Company. Chemical industry catalysts containing nickel are used in hydrogenation processes at refineries operated by ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell.

Compounds and Chemistry

Nickel forms inorganic compounds such as nickel(II) sulfate, nickel(II) oxide, and complex organometallic species like nickelocene, studied at institutions including California Institute of Technology and ETH Zurich. It functions as a homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyst in reactions historically advanced by chemists like Sabine Flitsch and laboratories associated with Max Planck Society. Coordination chemistry of nickel underpins work on cross-coupling reactions and hydrogenation used by pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer and Roche. Environmental and analytical chemistry involving nickel speciation uses methods standardized by agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and European Chemicals Agency.

Isotopes and Metallurgy

Naturally occurring isotopes of nickel include 58Ni, 60Ni, 61Ni, 62Ni, and 64Ni; isotopic studies inform geochemistry and nucleosynthesis research at observatories and institutes such as CERN and Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Metallurgical advances in powder metallurgy, electrodeposition, and vacuum remelting developed at industrial research labs like Bell Labs and Sandia National Laboratories enable the production of corrosion-resistant alloys used in Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed reactors and naval vessels of the United States Navy. Nickel-based superalloys, often strengthened by elements studied at Argonne National Laboratory, are essential in aerospace and energy sectors overseen by agencies such as NASA and International Atomic Energy Agency.

Biological Effects and Toxicity

Nickel is an essential trace element for some microorganisms and plants, a topic researched at universities including University of California, Berkeley and University of Cambridge, but it is also a human allergen implicated in contact dermatitis; public health guidance has been issued by agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. Occupational exposure in mining and processing has led to epidemiological studies by organizations such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health investigating respiratory and carcinogenic risks. Environmental regulation of nickel discharge and remediation efforts involve agencies like the European Environment Agency and technologies developed by firms such as Veolia and Suez.

Category:Chemical elements