All You Need to Know About Nickel and its Uses

Nickel is a common naturally occurring element that we do know. Here, you are going to know how it is obtained, processed, and why it is preferred by most manufacturers. 

Nickel is one of the most common naturally occurring metal (it is in the 5th position) that has a shiny appearance that occurs in the crust and core. It is also a common element that is found in small quantities in the animals, plants and seawater. Since the concentration of nickel on the crust of the earth is almost 80 million, the crust mostly contains the nickel-iron alloy. Here, you are going to know about nickel alloy 825 tubing properties and the different ways in which it is used.

Properties of Nickel:

Nickel has physical and chemical properties that stand out from the rest of the metals so it is commonly used in thousands of products. It is commonly used in the alloying process where it is combined with chromium and many other metals like vanadium to produce stainless steel. Here are other properties of nickel.

• It has a high melting point of about 1453 degree Celsius

• It is resistant to corrosion and any form of oxidation

• It is a highly ductile metal

• It can be used to form alloys easily

• It can be easily become deposited through the process of electroplating.

• It can be easily recycled.

• It has catalyzing properties. 

Mining and Production of Nickel:

It occurs in the form of sulfides, silicate, and oxides. It is approximated that over 2 million tons of nickel are produced and used each year. There are also different varieties of the nickel ores which require the different extraction techniques.

The ores containing nickel are usually found in more than 25 countries in the whole world. No wonder, nickel alloy 825 tubing is now in great demand and available all around the globe.

Uses of Nickel:

When nickel is obtained, it can be easily get converted into the intermediate products which are the basis of the end-use products. In most cases, the products will undergo further processing before they are used. Other common applications include;

• They are used in the manufacture of non-ferrous alloys.

• Mostly used in making stainless steel

• They are used in making alloys and other common steel castings.

• Used in the manufacture of batteries.

• Used in plating

The End Use of Nickel:

Due to the outstanding physical properties of the nickel element, it can be used in a wide variety of applications. The common applications of nickel include;

• Used in architecture, building, and construction

• They are used in the transport industry

• Used in the healthcare industry

• Used to manufacture the food contact materials

• Making of the consumer products

• Used to obtain power from oil and gas

What is the Socio-Economic Impact of Nickel? 

Most of the industries value the usage of nickel due to its properties and its ability to get recycled. Nickel has also provided employment opportunities to the people who work in the industries that process nickel. They are also used in modeling the positive and the negative impacts of aspects such as the regulatory initiatives. 

In Europe, the socio-economic impact was accessed by collecting data from 12 economies where the production of nickel occurs. In these 12 countries, the total value of the nickel industry was approximated to be at €43 billion. The total output from the industries that were related to nickel together with the nickel industry itself was approximated to be at €130 billion. The data also shows that there are about 750,000 jobs which directly or indirectly depend on the nickel industry. 

From a global perspective, nickel supports many jobs which occur in the manufacturing sector. 

Sustainability of Nickel:

The society is always concerned about sustainability and they are interested in knowing the material that creates a sustainable future for them. Nickel is one of the material that contributes to the creation of a sustainable future.

Since nickel is an element, it cannot be easily created nor get destroyed. It has a number of properties such as ductility, recyclability, electromagnetic, toughness and strength that can easily help it to achieve sustainability. It is also available in different forms that are seen or unseen meaning that it plays an important role in our lives.

Recycling of Nickel:

Since nickel is a natural element, it cannot be consumed. Just like any other common metals, nickel can easily be recycled without losing its quality and attributes.

Most of the products that contain nickel have a great value and they are usually collected so that they can get reprocessed. The gathering process and sorting of the scrap materials also create employment for people thus meaning that it has an economic value. 

Due to the benefits associated with the usage of nickel, most of the industries use it to manufacture their products including alloy tubing among others.