Many people are not sure what nickel is used for, only know it by name.

However, it is actually an element that we see almost every day.

This article introduces the properties of nickel, what it is used for in society, its etymology and the history of its discovery.

In particular, it introduces familiar applications in society.

Properties and characteristics of Nickel

Nickel is an element with properties intermediate between iron and copper.

It is a stable metal that does not react easily and is actually one of the elements we see everyday, as it is used for plating and is mixed with chromium and iron to form stainless steel.

Nickel has a high melting point and can withstand up to 1453°C.

Furthermore, it is a metal characterized by its resistance to corrosion and oxidation, easy alloying and extreme ease of handling.

Let’s look at how they are used in society, one by one.

How Nickel is used in society

Nickel is used as an ingredient in ‘coins’, ‘batteries’ and ‘stainless steel’.

Let’s look at each of them.

Nickel is useful “coin”

Japanese 100 and 50 yen coins are an alloy of copper and nickel (white copper).

The previous 500-yen coin was made of nickel brass, while the new 500-yen coin is made of a combination of nickel brass, white copper and copper.

Also, the old 50-yen coin was made of pure nickel.

As a side note, the new 500-yen coin has the word ‘JAPAN’ appearing when viewed from above and ‘500YEN’ from below.

Nickel is useful “battery”

Nickel is also used in batteries.

Two main types exist: nickel-cadmium batteries, which have been used until now, and nickel-metal hydride batteries, which have been attracting a lot of attention recently.

Nickel-cadmium batteries are rechargeable.

Cadmium hydroxide is used on the anode side and nickel hydroxide on the positive side.

However, due in part to the fact that cadmium is a toxic substance, nickel-metal hydride batteries are now widely used.

Nickel-metal hydride batteries use hydrogen storage alloys instead of cadmium hydroxide, which are harmless to humans and the environment and can be recharged.

Typical products such as ‘eneloop’ are nickel-metal hydride batteries.

Nickel is useful “stainless steel”

As mentioned at the beginning of this section, stainless steel, an alloy of chromium and other metals combined with nickel, is used for many things.

For example, frying pans, kitchen sinks and the construction sector.

Stainless steel is resistant to rust and is not prone to metal allergies.

Surgical stainless steel is a particularly low-allergenic form of stainless steel and is used in accessories and medical equipment.

History of nickel

・Chemical symbol; Ni

The word nickel is derived from the Saxon word ‘kupfernickel’ meaning ‘devil’s copper’.

It was called devil’s copper because it resembled copper ore but could not be smelted to yield copper, and the element that could be extracted from devil’s copper was called ‘nickel’. (kupfer means copper).

As for the discovery, it was discovered and named by Swedish mineralogist Axel Fredrik Krohnstedt.

Summary

In this article, we have explained ‘ nickel ‘.

The key points of this article are as follows.

The other elements studied in high school are summarized in the following articles.

Please see also the following pages for a further understanding!