| Nickel is the only element named after the devil. | | | | now recycled from scrap metal. Scrap metal |
| The name comes from the German word | | | | comes from old cars, demolition of buildings, |
| Kupfernickel, meaning "Old Nick's copper," a term | | | | appliances like washing machines and stoves, and |
| used by German miners. They tried to remove | | | | landfills. The task in recycling scrap metal is to find |
| copper from an ore that looked like copper ore, | | | | a way to separate the nickel from other metals in |
| but they were unsuccessful. Instead of copper, | | | | the scrap. This can be done by taking advantage |
| they got slag, a useless mass of earthy material. | | | | of special properties of nickel. For example, a |
| The miners believed the devil ("Old Nick") was | | | | magnet will remove nickel from scrap, leaving |
| playing a trick on them. So they called the fake | | | | copper behind. Nickel-cadmium batteries are used |
| copper ore Old Nick's copper. Since then, nickel | | | | in laptop computers. |
| has become a very valuable metal. It's most | | | | The most important use of nickel is in making |
| common use is in the production of stainless steel, | | | | alloys. About 80 percent of all nickel produced is |
| a strong material that does not rust easily and is | | | | used to make alloys. About two-thirds of that |
| used in hundreds of industrial and consumer | | | | amount goes into stainless steel that is common |
| applications. Nickel is also used in the manufacture | | | | to household appliances (like coffee makers, |
| of many other alloys. | | | | toasters, and pots and pans), kitchen sink tops |
| Nickel is classified as a transition metal. Nickel is | | | | and stoves, and medical equipment (X-ray |
| closely related to iron, cobalt, copper, and zinc. | | | | machines, for example). It is also used to make |
| These metals are close to nickel in the periodic | | | | heavy machinery and large containers in which |
| table. The study of metals was difficult for early | | | | large-scale chemical reactions are carried out. |
| chemists. Many metals looked very similar. They | | | | Artists sometimes use stainless steel in sculpture |
| also acted very much like each other chemically. | | | | because it does not rust easily. Stainless steel is |
| Nickel was one of the metals about which there | | | | important to the food and beverage, petroleum, |
| was much confusion. Copper miners were | | | | chemical, pharmaceutical (drug), pulp and paper, |
| confused about nickel and copper because they | | | | and textile industries. Nickel is also used to make |
| both occurred in ores with a green tint. But | | | | the superalloys used in jet engine parts and gas |
| copper ores reacted differently to heat than did | | | | turbines. Superalloys are made primarily of iron, |
| nickel ores. This confusion led to the choice for | | | | cobalt, or nickel. They also include small amounts |
| nickel's name. But cobalt miners were confused | | | | of other metals, such as chromium, tungsten, |
| too. Some ores of nickel also look like cobalt ores. | | | | aluminum, and titanium. Superalloys are resistant |
| But these ores did not react chemically in the | | | | to corrosion (rusting) and retain their properties at |
| same way either. Cobalt mine owners called the | | | | high temperatures. |
| "misbehaving" ores of nickel "cobalt which had lost | | | | Nickel is also very popular in the manufacture of |
| its soul." | | | | batteries. Nickel-cadmium (NiCad) and nickel-metal |
| Swedish mineralogist Axel Fredrik Cronstedt was | | | | hydride batteries are the most popular of these |
| the first person to realize that nickel was a new | | | | batteries. They are used in a great variety of |
| element. In 1751, he was given a new mineral | | | | appliances, including hand-held power tools, |
| from a cobalt mine near the town of | | | | compact disc players, pocket recorders, |
| Hälgsingland, Sweden. While Cronstedt thought | | | | camcorders, cordless and cellular telephones, |
| the ore might contain cobalt or copper, his tests | | | | scanner radios, and laptop computers. Nickel is |
| produced a surprising result. He found something in | | | | also used in electroplating, a process by which a |
| the mineral that did not act like cobalt, copper, or | | | | thin layer of one metal is laid down on top of a |
| any other known element. Cronstedt announced | | | | second metal. Nickel is commonly used in |
| that he had found a new element. He used a | | | | electroplating, the process by which a thin layer of |
| shortened version of Kupfernickel for the name | | | | one metal is laid down on top of a second metal. |
| of the new element. He called it nickel. | | | | In order to perform electroplating first, the nickel |
| Nickel is a silvery-white metal. It has the shiny | | | | compound to be laid down is dissolved in water. |
| surface common to most metals and is both | | | | The solution may be nickel chloride (NiCl2), nickel |
| ductile and malleable. With melting point of | | | | nitrate [Ni (NO3)2], or some other nickel |
| 1,555°C (2,831°F), boiling point of about | | | | compound. Second, a sheet of the metal to be |
| 2,835°C (5,135°F), and density of of 8.90 | | | | electroplated is placed into the solution. if this |
| grams per cubic centimeter, nickel is only one of | | | | metal is steel then its sheet is suspended in the |
| three naturally occurring elements that is strongly | | | | nickel chloride, nickel nitrate, or other nickel |
| magnetic; the other two being iron and cobalt. But | | | | solution. |
| nickel is less magnetic than either iron or cobalt. | | | | Third, an electric current is passed through the |
| Nickel is a relatively unreactive element. At room | | | | solution. The current causes nickel to come out of |
| temperature, it does not combine with oxygen or | | | | the solution. The nickel is then deposited on the |
| water or dissolve in most acids. At higher | | | | surface of the steel. The longer the current runs, |
| temperatures, it becomes more active. For | | | | the more nickel is laid down. The thickness of the |
| example, nickel burns in oxygen to form nickel | | | | nickel layer can be controlled by the time the |
| oxide (NiO). It also reacts with steam to give | | | | electric current runs through the solution. |
| nickel oxide and hydrogen gas. Nickel makes up | | | | Electroplating is used to make metal products with |
| about 0.01 to 0.02 percent of the Earth's crust. It | | | | very specific qualities. Steel is strong but tends to |
| ranks about 22nd among the chemical elements in | | | | corrode easily. Nickel does not corrode as fast as |
| terms of abundance in the Earth's crust. Nickel is | | | | steel. A thin layer of nickel on top of steel |
| thought to be much more abundant in the Earth's | | | | protects the steel from corrosion. |
| core. In fact, many experts believe that the core | | | | Some nickel compounds have other important |
| consists almost entirely of iron and nickel. | | | | uses too. Some are used to make alloys of nickel. |
| One argument for this belief is the presence of | | | | Other nickel compounds are used as coloring |
| nickel in meteorites. Meteorites are pieces of rock | | | | agents. For example, the compound nickel |
| or metal from space that fall to the Earth's | | | | dimethylglyoxime (C8 H14 N4 NiO4) is used as a |
| surface. Meteorites often contain a high | | | | coloring agent in paints, cosmetics, and certain |
| percentage of nickel. The most common ores of | | | | kinds of plastics. Many other nickel compounds |
| nickel include pentlandite, pyrrhotite, and garnierite. | | | | have somewhat more unusual uses. For example, |
| The element also occurs as an impurity in ores of | | | | the compound nickel dibutyldithiocarbamate |
| iron, copper, cobalt, and other metals. The United | | | | (Ni[CS2 N(C4H4 )2 ]2 ) is used as an antioxidant in |
| States' only nickel mine is located in Riddle, | | | | tires. The rubber in tires reacts with oxygen in |
| Oregon. In 1996, the mine produced 15,070 tons | | | | the air. When it does so, the rubber gets hard and |
| of nickel. Russia is the world's largest producer of | | | | stiff. The tires begin to break down. An additive |
| nickel. Other major nickel producers are Canada, | | | | like nickel dibutyldithiocarbamate can reduce the |
| New Caledonia, Australia, and Indonesia. The | | | | rate at which this process occurs. The life of tires |
| largest single deposit of nickel is located at | | | | is extended. |
| Sudbury Basin, Ontario, Canada. The deposit was | | | | Nickel can pose a health hazard to certain |
| discovered in 1883. It covers an area 27 | | | | individuals. The most common health problem is |
| kilometers wide and 59 kilometers long. Some | | | | called nickel allergy. Some people are more likely |
| experts believe the deposit was created when a | | | | to develop nickel allergy than are others. People |
| meteorite struck the earth at Sudbury Basin. | | | | who are sensitive to nickel may develop a skin |
| There are five naturally occurring isotopes of | | | | rash somewhat like poison ivy. The rash becomes |
| nickel: nickel-58, nickel-60, nickel-61, nickel-62, and | | | | itchy and may form watery blisters. Once a |
| nickel-64. Seven radioactive isotopes of nickel | | | | person gets nickel allergy, it remains with him or |
| are also known. One radioactive isotope of nickel, | | | | her forever. Since nickel is present in dozens of |
| nickel-63, has limited use in industry. This isotope | | | | products, it is easy for sensitive people to |
| has two uses: for the detection of explosives, and | | | | develop nickel allergy. Perhaps the most common |
| in certain kinds of electronic devices, such as | | | | cause of nickel allergy is body piercing. Some |
| surge protectors. A surge protector is a device | | | | people have their ears pierced for earrings, while |
| that protects sensitive electronic equipment like | | | | others have their lips, nose, or other body parts |
| computers from sudden changes in the electric | | | | pierced. Inexpensive jewelry placed into these |
| current flowing into them. | | | | piercings is frequently made of stainless steel. The |
| The method used for making pure nickel metal is | | | | presence of nickel in a piercing can cause nickel |
| a common one in metallurgy, the art and science | | | | allergy to develop. Nickel can cause more serious |
| of working with metals. Most nickel ores contain | | | | health problems too. For example, people who are |
| nickel sulfide (NiS). These ores are "roasted" | | | | exposed to nickel fumes (dust and gas) breathe in |
| (heated in air). Roasting converts the nickel sulfide | | | | nickel on a regular basis. Long term nickel |
| to nickel oxide. The nickel oxide is then treated | | | | exposure may cause serious health problems, |
| with a chemical that will remove the oxygen from | | | | including cancer. |
| the nickel. For example, a large amount of nickel is | | | | |