It has some very useful properties, and when it is mixed with other metals it helps create amazing alloys that are strong, won t rust, can withstand high and low temperatures, and can be easily shaped into anything from thin wires to flat sheets. Nickel is hard. Nickel has a high melting point. Nickel can also withstand very low temperatures. Nickel is rarely found in the earth in its pure form.
Nickel mixes well with other metals to make many useful alloys.
Nickel is rust-resistant Nickel is magnetic, although not as strongly as iron. Its symbol is Ni. At least 3000 nickel alloys have been created, including stainless steel. Batteries Nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries, used to power mobile phones, radios, clocks and calculators. Coins Nickel was first used for coinage in Belgium in 1860, and has been widely used since then.