Nickel

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Ni
Nickel
G Unit
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Basic Info
Nickel is a silvery white metal that takes on a
high polish. It belongs to the transition metals,
and is hard and ductile. It occurs most usually
in combination with sulphur and iron in
pentlandite, with sulphur in millerite, with
arsenic in the mineral nickeline, and with
arsenic and sulphur in nickel glance. It is clear
that in common with massive forms of chromium,
aluminium and titanium metal that nickel is very
slow to react with air, but it is a very reactive
element.
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Name Nickel Symbol Ni Atomic Number
28 Standard State Solid at 298 K Colour
Lustrous, metallic, silvery tinge Conductor of
heat and electricity Ferro magnetic Price
Approx. 16 000 per ton Melting point 1728
K Boiling Point 3186 K
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A bit of history for you!
Nickel was discovered in 1751 by Axel Fredrik
Cronstedt in Sweden. The name Nickel comes from
the German word kuperfernickel, meaning devils
copper or St Nicholas's copper. Minerals
containing Nickel were considerd valuable because
of their ability to turn glas green. Cronstedt
discovered nickle in a mineral called niccolite.
He expected to obtain copper, but instead
obtained a white metal which he named nickel.
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Uses
Nickel is used for allows such as stainless steel
and other corrosion resistant alloys. It is used
in tubing as a copper-nickel alloy to convert sea
water into fresh water. Used a lot in
coinage Glass colouring Nickel plating to offer
protection from rust and corrosion Finely divided
nickel is a catalyst for hydrogenating vegetable
oils. Batteries and electroplating
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ISOTOPES
Naturally occuring Isotopes Ni 58, Ni 60, Ni 61,
Ni 62, Ni 64. The more stable Naturall isotopes
are used in experiemnts to see how much nickle
the body can absorb. Radio active isotopes Ni
56, Ni 57, Ni 59, Ni 63, Ni 65, Ni 66. There are
not many uses for radioactive isotopes of Nickel.
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Nickel isotopes are used for the production of
several radioisotopes. Ni-64 is used for the
production of Cu-64 which is used in
radioimmunotherapy. Ni-61 can be used for the
production of the PET radioisotope Cu-61. Ni-62
is used for the production of the radioisotope
Ni-63 which can be used as an XRF source, as an
electron capture source in gas chromatographs and
as a power source in microelectromechanical
systems. Ni-58 can be used for the production of
the radioisotope Co-58. Ni-60 is used for the
production of Co-57 which is used in bone
densitometry and as a gamma camera reference
source. Ni-60 is also used as an alternative for
the production of Cu-61, but the route via Ni-61
is more common.
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Reactions
Reaction of nickel with the halogens Nickel metal
does react with fluorine gas, F2, but only
slowly. This makes nickel an important metal for
containers of fluorine. The dichloride, NiCl2,
dibromide, NiBr2, and diiodide, NiI2, are formed
in the reactions of nickel metal and chlorine,
Cl2, bromine, Br2, or iodine, I2. Ni(s) Cl2(g)
? NiCl2(s) yellow Ni(s) Br2(g) ? NiBr2(s)
yellow Ni(s) I2(g) ? NiI2(s) black
Reaction of nickel with acids Nickel metal
dissolves slowly in dilute sulphuric acid to form
solutions containing the aquated Ni(II) ion
together with hydrogen gas, H2. In practice, the
Ni(II) is present as the complex ion
Ni(OH2)62. Ni(s) H2SO4(aq) ? Ni2(aq)
SO42-(aq) H2(g) The strongly oxidizing
concentrated nitric acid, HNO3, reacts on the
surface of iron and passivates the surface.
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Health hazards
There are not many health hazards concerning
Nickel, except for Nickel particles being
inhaled. When the particles are inhaled they
react with the surface of the throat and can
cause severe blisters on the surface of the
throat, therefore leading to lose of breathing
and potentially fatal outcomes.
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