Nickel - Minerals and Uses

Nickel, iron and cobalt are the only three elements known to be ferro-magnetic and of the three, nickel is the least magnetic. When all three ferro-magnetic metals are alloyed together, an unusually strong magnet is created. This alloy conducts heat and electricity fairly well, but is not as good a conductor as pure silver or copper.

Nickel was named by Axel Fredrik Cronstedt of Sweden for the metal he obtained from the mineral niccolite. This was the first discovery of nickel in the western world, but an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc - paitung or paktong - was used in China as far back as 235 B.C.E. for utensils and other metal ware.

Trace amounts of nickel are important to a number of species of animals. It plays a role, along with iron, in the transport of oxygen in the blood. Nickel deficiency has been shown to reduce iron uptake in young pigs. Nickel is also important to the proper function of some enzymes in both plants and animals. Experiments on rats have shown that insufficient nickel leads to liver damage. Nickel is involved in the transmission of genetic code - DNA, RNA, etc. it is also present in certain enzymes that metabolize sugar. Oats and other whole grains are an excellent source of nickel.

Scientists who study seismic waves from earthquakes, have determined that the core of the Earth consists of a liquid outer core and a solid inner core composed of an iron-nickel mixture. Most nickel is produced in Canada, Cuba, Norway, Russia and Australia.

Nickel is used in nonferrous alloys (or mixed with metals other than steel) and superalloys (metal mixtures designed to withstand extremely high temperatures and/or pressures, or to have high electrical conductivity) and as a coating on other metals to slow down corrosion. The remaining nickel use is for a variety of purposes including the production of coins, nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries; as a catalyst for certain chemical reactions; and, as a colorant, nickel is added to glass to give it a green color. Rechargeable nickel-hydride batteries are widely used for cellular phones, video cameras, and other electronic devices. Nickel-cadmium batteries are used primarily to power cordless tools and appliances.

Manganese crusts and nodules on the ocean floor could be a valuable source of nickel someday. These deposits contain manganese and other metal ions, such as nickel. Today, it is too expensive to mine the deposits, but as the surface nickel deposits are used up, the value of nickel may increase and make it profitable to retrieve these manganese nodules.

There are a number of materials that could be used in place of nickel, but generally, these substitutes are more expensive than nickel and/or less effective. Aluminum, plastics or coated steel could be used in place of stainless steel in some situations. Titanium can be used in place of nickel to make some superalloys.