Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28.
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27 Facts About Nickel
2.
Nickel was first isolated and classified as an element in 1751 by Axel Fredrik Cronstedt, who initially mistook the ore for a copper mineral, in the cobalt mines of Los, Halsingland, Sweden.
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3.
Nickel is slowly oxidized by air at room temperature and is considered corrosion-resistant.
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4.
Nickel has been widely used in coins, though its rising price has led to some replacement with cheaper metals in recent years.
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5.
Nickel is one of four elements that are ferromagnetic at about room temperature.
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6.
Nickel is an essential nutrient for some microorganisms and plants that have enzymes with nickel as an active site.
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7.
Nickel is a silvery-white metal with a slight golden tinge that takes a high polish.
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8.
Nickel is hard, malleable and ductile, and has a relatively high electrical and thermal conductivity for transition metals.
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9.
Nickel has two atomic electron configurations, [Ar] 3d 4s and [Ar] 3d 4s, which are very close in energy; [Ar] denotes the complete argon core structure.
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10.
Nickel-62 has the highest binding energy per nucleon of any nuclide: 8.
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11.
Nickel-63 is a contaminant found in the support structure of nuclear reactors.
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12.
Nickel is commonly found in iron meteorites as the alloys kamacite and taenite.
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13.
Nickel tetracarbonyl, discovered by Ludwig Mond, is a volatile, highly toxic liquid at room temperature.
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14.
Nickel complexes are uncommon, but one example is the tetrahedral complex 3.
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15.
Nickel chloride is most common, and its behavior is illustrative of the other halides.
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16.
Nickel chloride is made by dissolving nickel or its oxide in hydrochloric acid.
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17.
Nickel ores are easily mistaken for ores of silver and copper, understanding of this metal and its use, is relatively recent.
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18.
Nickel is obtained from nickel carbonyl by one of two processes.
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19.
Nickel is resistant to corrosion, it was occasionally used as a substitute for decorative silver.
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20.
Nickel is an excellent alloying agent for certain precious metals and is used in the fire assay as a collector of platinum group elements .
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21.
Nickel is naturally magnetostrictive: in the presence of a magnetic field, the material undergoes a small change in length.
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22.
Nickel makes the tungsten carbide magnetic and adds corrosion-resistance to the cemented parts, though the hardness is less than those with cobalt binder.
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23.
Nickel released from Siberian Traps volcanic eruptions is suspected of helping the growth of Methanosarcina, a genus of euryarchaeote archaea that produced methane in the Permian–Triassic extinction event, the biggest known mass extinction.
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24.
Nickel compounds are classified as human carcinogens based on increased respiratory cancer risks observed in epidemiological studies of sulfidic ore refinery workers.
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25.
Nickel is the top confirmed contact allergen worldwide, partly due to its use in jewelry for pierced ears.
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26.
Nickel allergies affecting pierced ears are often marked by itchy, red skin.
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27.
Nickel was voted Allergen of the Year in 2008 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society.
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