2. In 1751, nickel was
discovered by a Swedish
scientist named Axel
Fredrik Cronstedt.
Obviously it was discovered in Sweden.
It’s name comes from the German words Nickel
meaning “Old Nick”, a name for the devil, and
kupfernickel, meaning “Old Nick’s Copper.”
3. Nickel is solid at room temperature.
Its color is shiny and silvery.
The melting point is between 1453° C and 1726.15° C.
The boiling point is between 2732° C and 3005.15° C.
Its density is 8.912 g/cmˆ3.
There are 5 stable isotopes which make up nickel as
well as 9 other unstable isotopes.
Important properties it has are:
malleable, ductile, hard, ferromagnetic,
and somewhat conducts electricity.
4. Used primarily for its alloys
Nickel makes
stainless steal and other corrosion-resistant alloys
Tubing used for desalination plants
Armor plating
United States and Canadian coinage
Burglar-proof vaults
Glass a green color
A catalyst for hydrogenating vegetable oils
Magnets and batteries
Fun Fact:
The first nickel made of pure
nickel metal was made in 1881.
5. Nickel is obtained from a mineral called pentlandite.
To get this they have nickel ores, the most prominent
of which is in Sudbury Region of Ontario, Canada.
Believe it or not! Nickel is present in most meteorites.
Nickel ores are also found
in Australia, Cuba, and
Indonesia.
Fun Fact:
It is believe that the
large deposit of nickel
in the Sudbury region
is a result of an ancient
meteor impact.
6. After the pentlandite is removed from the ore it is
purified down to nickel.
A pure sample of nickel costs $7.7 per 100 grams.
7. NiO is used for ceramic glazes, porcelain
paints, batteries, and other items.
NiCl_2_ is used for electroplating, incecticides, and
glass colorant.
(CH3CO2)2Ni·4H2O is used for anodize coatings and
textile dyeing mordant.
Ni(OH)_2_ is used in specific batteries.
