Share on: Industries Vision Cases Media Investors Governance Careers Contact Home>Vision>From Ag to Zn>Nickel Co Cobalt Ni Nickel Cu Copper Zn Zinc Ga Gallium Ge Germanium As Arsenic Se Selenium Ru Ruthenium Rh Rhodium Pd Palladium In Indium Sn Tin Sb Antimony Te Tellurium Ta Tantalum W Tungsten Re Rhenium Ir Iridium Pt Platinum Au Gold Pb Lead Bi Bismuth La Lanthanum Ce Cerium Pr Praseodymium Nd Neodymium Ag Silver Nickel Throughout the Middle Ages miners in Germany occasionally found a brownish-red ore, which they called kupfernickel, after Nick, a spirit that haunted mines. The Swedish scientist Cronstedt managed to isolate the metal in 1751 and named it nickel. Nickel only began to arouse real interest when the USA started to use a Cu-Ni alloy for its coins. Around the end of the 19th century, nickel found its way into the shipbuilding and armour plating professions. Its use also grew steadily in the development of stainless steels, which currently accounts for more than 60% of nickel consumption. Ni Nickel PROPERTIES A silver-grey metal that is hard, tough, malleable and ductile. Ferromagnetic (Curie point, 353°C). Its electrical conductivity is about one-sixth of that of copper. Nickel is a carrier metal for platinum group metals. APPLICATIONS By far the largest application of nickel is in austenitic stainless steels, which are used in the chemical industry, mechanical construction, architecture (for internal and external applications) and household equipment (cutlery, sinks, pans, etc.). Thin nickel layers are also used for decorative or anti-corrosion purposes, or as a substrate for a thin layer of chromium (e.g. in taps, cocks and fittings) or gold (in jewellery and electronics). Nickel-containing cupro-aluminiums exhibit excellent resistance to corrosion in seawater and are used to make propellers, pumps, sluice gates, etc. Nickel is used as an active material in NiCd, NiMH and Li-ion rechargeable batteries. RECYCLING Most nickel recycling is done directly by the steel industry. It is usual practice for special alloys to be recycled as the same special alloy wherever possible: the stringent specifications and the cost of achieving them in the first place can justify them having their own closed loops. Processes now exist for recycling nickel from spent rechargeable batteries. For more info see www.nickelinstitute.org PRECIOUS METALS REFINING Visit site COBALT & SPECIALTY MATERIALS Visit site RECHARGEABLE BATTERY MATERIALS Visit site THIN FILM PRODUCTS Visit site BATTERY RECYCLING Visit site Business Units Catalysis Automotive Catalysts Precious Metals Chemistry Energy & Surface Technologies Cobalt & Specialty Materials Electro-Optic Materials Electroplating Rechargeable Battery Materials Thin Film Products Follow us Recycling Jewellery & Industrial Metals Platinum Engineered Materials Precious Metals Management Precious Metals Refining Technical Materials Battery Recycling Other Building Products - VMZINC Zinc Chemicals We are global Find us Worldwide Europe Asia Pacific North America South America Africa Legal disclaimer General terms & conditions Sustainable Procurement Charter