Element

Nickel Element Properties and Information

Published February 17, 2023 · Updated February 15, 2023

Nickel is the twenty-eighth element on the periodic table. Elements are arranged in the periodic table on the basis of the atomic number. Atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus of the atom. Nickel has an atomic number of 28. It is located in the Group 10 and Period 4 of the periodic table of elements. It is denoted by Ni. The name is derived from the German word ‘Kupfernickel’ which means Nicholas’ copper.

Alex Fredrik Cronstedt analyzed a new mineral in 1751 and proclaimed in 1754 that if contained a new metal which he named as Nickel. Many chemists thought that it to be a mixture of cobalt, arsenic, copper, and iron. Torbern Bergman isolated pure nickel in 1775 and confirmed that it is a new metal and other elements were present as trace contaminants in previously isolated samples.

A substantial amount of nickel which is present on Earth arrived in a meteorite which fell in Ontario, Canada, about millions of years ago. This place produces 15% of world’s nickel. The most common mineral used for nickel extraction is pentlandite, it is also found in garnierite.

Physical Properties

Nickel is silvery white coloured metal with slight golden tinge.
The atomic mass of nickel is 58.71
The melting point of nickel is 1453°C
The boiling point of nickel is 2913°C
The density of nickel is 8900 in S.I. units at 20°C
Nickel resists corrosion, even at high temperatures.
Nickel is one of the four elements which are ferromagnetic in nature at room temperature. The other elements are iron, cobalt, and gadolinium.
If nickel is heated above 355°C, bulk nickel becomes non-magnetic.
Nickel has high thermal and electrical conductivity for a non-metal.
Naturally occurring nickel is composed of five isotopes; nickel-58, nickel-60, nickel-61, nickel-62, and nickel-64. Nickel-58 is the most abundant of them all and makes up to 68.077% of natural nickel.

Chemical Properties

Large pieces of nickel react quite slowly with air under ambient conditions. Nevertheless, they form a passivation layer on the surface of the metal.
Powdered nickel reacts relatively faster because the reaction surface area is large.
The most common oxidation state of nickel is +2 but oxidation states of 0, +1, +3, and +4 have also been known.
Nickel(0) complexes decompose easily on heating.
Nickel(I) compounds are uncommon but those which form such complexes display Ni-Ni bonding.
Nickel(II) is the most common type of nickel complex, it forms compounds with halogens, sulphides, salfates, hydroxides, and carboxylates.
Nickel(III) complexes are known more than nickel(II) complexes. They form simple salts with oxide or fluoride ions.
Nickel(IV) complexes are also know to exist but they are rarest among all the known nickel compounds.

Methods of Production

Pyrometallurgical extraction: Froth flotation method is first used to concentrate the sulfide ore mostly in nickel metal then the concentrated ore is subjected to pyrometallurgical methods of calcining, smelting, and roasting. A matte is produced which can be refined further. Pyrometallurgical route was the tradition route used for nickel extraction in past. This method produces nickel in 75% of purity.
Hydrometallurgical extraction: A flotation technique is used to concentrate the sulfide ore and then smelted. Then the obtained matte is subjected to hydrogen sulfide to remove copper leaving behind a mixture of nickel and cobalt. Solvent extraction is used to separate cobalt and nickel.
Electrorefining: It is a matte refining method. The matte is leached by subjecting it to a nickel-salt solution followed by electrowinning of the nickel from solution by playing it onto a cathode as electrolytic nickel.
Mond Process: This process gives nickel in highest purity, of about 99.99%. Impure nickel matte obtained via extraction is reacted with carbon monoxide at 40-80°C in the presence of sulphur catalysts to form nickel carbonyl, thus nickel gets removed from the matte. The iron also gets removed to form iron carbonyl but it is a slow reaction. The nickel is separated from nickel carbonyl by one of the two methods; in the first method, nickel carbonyl is passed through containers containing small pellets of nickel. The carbonyl would decompose to deposit pure nickel on the surface of the sphere. In the second method, the nickel carbonyl is simply decomposed by subjecting it to a temperature of 230°C. The nickel powder obtained from this method is called ‘Carbonyl Nickel’ in market.

Relevance in Chemical and Related Industries

Steel industries: Stainless steel finds most use of the nickel produced worldwide. About 68% of the total nickel produced is consumed by steel industries. Steel industries accept nickel which has at least 75% purity. So, nickel obtained by pyrometallurgical process can be directly used in steel industries. Nickel alloyed with steel increase tensile strength, elastic limit, and toughness of the steel.
Catalysts: Raney-nickel catalysts are used in hydrogenation of oil.

Hardmetal industries: Nickel is used as a binder in the cemented tungsten carbide and constitutes about 6-12% in proportions. The nickel increases the corrosion resistance of tungsten carbide and makes it magnetic.

Relevance in Other Industries

Construction: About 27% of the total nickel produced is used in the field of engineering for material construction and designing. About 10% is used in buildings, about 14% is used in transport industry, and about 14% is used in tubular devices.
Kryton: Kryton is a cold-cathode gas-filled tube which finds its use as a high speed switch. Nickel-63 isotope is used in Kryton as a beta particle emitter.

Health Effects on Exposure

Over-uptake: The uptake can happen by over-eating food rich in nickel, drinking contaminated water, and smoking cigarettes. High concentrations of nickel in body increase the chances of cancers of lung, nose, larynx, and prostrate. It also causes lung embolism, asthma, chronic bronchitis, rashes, and heart disorders.

Effects on Surroundings

Animals: Over-uptake or nickel by animals is liable to cause various types of cancers. Those animals which live near refineries are most susceptible to get affected.

References:

https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/28/nickel

https://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/ni.htm

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel