Nickel
| Atomic Number: | 28 |
| Symbol: | Ni |
| Atomic Weight: | 58.71 |
| Discovery: | Cronstedt 1751 |
| Electron Configuration: | [Ar]4s23d8 |
| Word Origin: | German Nickel: Satan or Old Nick, also, from kupfernickel: Old Nick's copper |
| Isotopes: | There are 14 known isotopes of nickel, 5 stable and 9 unstable. Natural nickel is a mixture of the 5 stable isotopes. |
| Properties: | The melting point of nickel is 1453°C, boiling point is 2732°C, specific gravity is 8.902 (25°C), with a valence of 0, 1, 2, or 3. Nickel is a silvery white metal that takes a high polish. Nickel is hard, ductile, malleable, and somewhat ferromagnetic. It is a fair conductor of heat and electricity. Nickel is a member of the iron-cobalt group of metals (transition elements). Exposure to nickel metal and soluble compounds should not exceed 1 mg/M3 (8 hour time weighted average for a 40 hour week). Some nickel compounds (nickel carbonyl, nickel sulfide) are considered to be highly toxic or carcinogenic. |
| Uses: | Nickel is used primarily for the alloys it forms. It is used for making stainless steel and many other corrosion resistant alloys. Copper-nickel alloy tubing is used in desalination plants. Nickel is used in coinage and for armor plating. When added to glass, nickel gives a green color. Nickel plating is applied to other metals to provide a protective coating. Finely divided nickel is used as a catalyst for hydrogenating vegetable oils. Nickel is also used in ceramics, magnets, and batteries. |
| Sources: | Nickel is present in most meteorites. Its presence is often used to distinguish meteorites from other minerals. Iron meteorites (siderites) may contain iron alloyed with 5-20% nickel. Nickel is commercially obtained from pentlandite and pyrrhotite. Deposits of nickel ore are located in Ontario, Australian, Cuba, and Indonesia. |
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