Nickel | Definition, Properties, Symbol, Uses, & Facts

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py-lg-20 content md-expanded" data-topic-id="414238"> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col-auto"> <div class="topic-left-rail md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/nickel-chemical-element">nickel</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/science/nickel-chemical-element">Introduction</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref224861"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/nickel-chemical-element#ref224861">Properties, occurrence, and uses</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref5264"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/nickel-chemical-element#ref5264">Compounds</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/nickel-chemical-element/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/nickel-chemical-element">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/nickel-chemical-element/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/72/22372-050-801FBBFB/element-nickel-symbol-square-Ni-properties-some.jpg" data-href="/media/1/414238/64439" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/72/22372-004-82C17839/element-nickel-symbol-square-Ni-properties-some.jpg" alt="nickel" height="50" /> </a> <a href="" data-href="/media/1/414238/299687" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/13/255013-049-6477CC72/periodic-table-banner.jpg" alt="Explore an interactive periodic table of the elements" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/76/126276-004-6378AAD0/Nickel-briquettes.jpg" data-href="/media/1/414238/120839" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/76/126276-004-6378AAD0/Nickel-briquettes.jpg" alt="nickel briquettes" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/25/1525-004-D7F4FDA1/weathering-nickel-nickeliferous-peridotite-substitution-mineral-garnierite.jpg" data-href="/media/1/414238/1514" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/25/1525-004-D7F4FDA1/weathering-nickel-nickeliferous-peridotite-substitution-mineral-garnierite.jpg" alt="lateritic weathering" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-student-links"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> For Students </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/summary/nickel-chemical-element"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-131/images/shared/default3.png?v=3.131.7" class="default " height="200" width="200"/> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/summary/nickel-chemical-element" >nickel summary</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-related-quizzes"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> Quizzes </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/quiz/periodic-table-names-symbols-quiz"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/66/215466-131-16036BD8/Concept-artwork-periodic-table-elements.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="Concept artwork on the periodic table of elements." width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/quiz/periodic-table-names-symbols-quiz" >118 Names and Symbols of the 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://sites.dartmouth.edu/toxmetal/more-metals/nickel-hidden-in-plain-sight/the-facts-on-nickel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Dartmouth College - Dartmouth Toxic Metals - The Facts on Nickel</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.livescience.com/29327-nickel.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">LiveScience - Facts about Nickel</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7037090/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Nickel: Human Health and Environmental Toxicology</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/28/nickel" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Royal Society of Chemistry - Nickel</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_and_Websites_(Inorganic_Chemistry)/Descriptive_Chemistry/Elements_Organized_by_Block/3_d-Block_Elements/Group_10%3A_Transition_Metals/Chemistry_of_Nickel" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Chemistry LibreTexts - Chemistry of Nickel</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/ni.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Lenntech - Nickel - Ni</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.webelements.com/nickel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Webelements.com - nickel</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-title">Britannica Websites</div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-subtitle">Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.</div> <ul class="list-unstyled bps-topic-web-sites lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/nickel/353535" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nickel - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/nickel/276090" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nickel - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Ni</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written and fact-checked by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-05T00:00:00CST" >Nov 5, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/nickel-chemical-element/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Key People: </dt> <dd><a href="/biography/Axel-Fredrik-Cronstedt" topicid="143924">Axel Fredrik Cronstedt</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Paul-Sabatier-French-chemist" topicid="514952">Paul Sabatier</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Charles-Edouard-Guillaume" topicid="248688">Charles Édouard Guillaume</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Topics: </dt> <dd><a href="/science/chemical-element" topicid="108636">chemical element</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/transition-metal" topicid="602775">transition metal</a></dd> <dd><a href="/technology/nickel-processing" topicid="414313">nickel processing</a></dd> <dd><a href="/technology/nickel-silver" topicid="414325">nickel silver</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/Raney-nickel" topicid="491093">Raney nickel</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/nickel-chemical-element"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref242458"></span>nickel (Ni)</strong>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/chemical-element" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">chemical element</a>, ferromagnetic metal of Group 10 (VIIIb) of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Periodic-Table" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">periodic table</a>, markedly resistant to oxidation and corrosion.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><div class="text-center pb-20"><div class="md-table-wrapper"><table class="md-element-table"><caption>Element Properties</caption><tbody><tr><th scope="row">atomic number</th><td>28</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">atomic weight</th><td>58.69</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">melting point</th><td>1,453 °C (2,647 °F)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">boiling point</th><td>2,732 °C (4,950 °F)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">density </th><td>8.902 (25 °C)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">oxidation states</th><td>0, +1, +2, +3</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">electron configuration</th><td>[Ar]3<em>d</em><sup>8</sup>4<em>s</em><sup>2</sup></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref224861"> <h2 class="h1">Properties, occurrence, and uses</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Silvery white, tough, and harder than <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/iron-chemical-element" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">iron</a>, nickel is widely familiar because of its use in coinage but is more important either as the pure <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/metal-chemistry" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">metal</a> or in the form of alloys for its many domestic and industrial applications. Elemental nickel very sparingly occurs together with iron in terrestrial and meteoric deposits. The metal was isolated (1751) by a Swedish chemist and mineralogist, Baron <span id="ref242459"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Axel-Fredrik-Cronstedt" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Axel Fredrik Cronstedt</a>, who prepared an impure sample from an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/ore-mining" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">ore</a> containing <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/niccolite" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">niccolite</a> (nickel arsenide). Earlier, an ore of this same type was called <em>Kupfernickel</em> after “Old Nick” and his mischievous gnomes because, though it resembled copper ore, it yielded a brittle, unfamiliar metal. Twice as abundant as copper, nickel <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="constitutes" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constitutes" data-type="MW">constitutes</a> about 0.007 percent of Earth’s crust; it is a fairly common <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="constituent" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constituent" data-type="MW">constituent</a> of igneous rocks, though singularly few deposits qualify in concentration, size, and accessibility for commercial interest. The central regions of Earth are believed to contain considerable quantities. The most important sources are <span id="ref1265697"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/pentlandite" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">pentlandite</a>, found with nickel-bearing <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/pyrrhotite" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">pyrrhotite</a>, of which certain varieties contain 3 to 5 percent nickel, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/chalcopyrite" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">chalcopyrite</a>, and nickel-bearing laterites, such as garnierite, a magnesium–nickel silicate of variable <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="composition" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/composition" data-type="MW">composition</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The metallurgy of nickel is complicated in its details, many of which vary widely, according to the particular ore being processed. In general, the ore is transformed to dinickel trisulfide, Ni<sub>2</sub><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/sulfur" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">S</a><sub>3 </sub>(with nickel in the +3 oxidation state), which is roasted in air to give nickel oxide, NiO (+2 state), which is then reduced with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/carbon-chemical-element" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">carbon</a> to obtain the metal. Some high-purity nickel is made by the carbonyl process mentioned earlier. (For information about the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/mining" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">mining</a>, refining, and production of nickel, <em>see</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/nickel-processing" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">nickel processing</a>.)</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/periodic-table-names-symbols-quiz" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/66/215466-131-16036BD8/Concept-artwork-periodic-table-elements.jpg" alt="Concept artwork on the periodic table of elements." class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">118 Names and Symbols of the Periodic Table Quiz</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Nickel (atomic number 28) <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="resembles" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/resembles" data-type="EB">resembles</a> iron (atomic number 26) in strength and toughness but is more like copper (atomic number 29) in resistance to oxidation and corrosion, a combination accounting for many of its applications. Nickel has high electrical and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/thermal-conductivity" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">thermal conductivity</a>. More than half the nickel produced is used in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/alloy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">alloys</a> with iron (particularly in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/stainless-steel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">stainless steels</a>), and most of the rest is used in corrosion-resistant alloys with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/copper" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">copper</a> (including <span id="ref1030735"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Monel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Monel</a>, which contains some 60 to 70 percent nickel, 30 to 40 percent copper, and small amounts of other metals such as iron) and in heat-resistant alloys with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/chromium" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">chromium</a>. Nickel is also used in electrically resistive, magnetic, and many other kinds of alloys, such as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/nickel-silver" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">nickel silver</a> (with copper and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/zinc" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">zinc</a> but no silver). The unalloyed metal is utilized to form protective coatings on other metals, especially by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/electroplating" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">electroplating</a>. Finely divided nickel is employed to catalyze the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/hydrogenation" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">hydrogenation</a> of unsaturated organic <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="compounds" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compounds" data-type="MW">compounds</a> (e.g., fats and oils).</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Nickel can be fabricated readily by the use of standard hot and cold working methods. Nickel reacts only slowly with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/fluorine" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">fluorine</a>, eventually developing a protective coating of the fluoride, and therefore is used as the pure metal or in the form of alloys such as Monel in equipment for handling fluorine gas and corrosive fluorides. Nickel is <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/ferromagnetism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">ferromagnetic</a> at ordinary temperatures, although not as strongly as iron, and is less electropositive than iron but dissolves readily in dilute <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/mineral-chemical-compound" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">mineral</a> acids.</p><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Natural nickel consists of five stable isotopes: nickel-58 (68.27 percent), nickel-60 (26.10 percent), nickel-61 (1.13 percent), nickel-62 (3.59 percent), and nickel-64 (0.91 percent). It has a face-centred cubic <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/crystal" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">crystal structure</a>. Nickel is ferromagnetic up to 358 °C, or 676 °F (its Curie point). The metal is uniquely resistant to the action of alkalies and is frequently used for containers for concentrated solutions of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/sodium-hydroxide" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">sodium hydroxide</a>. Nickel reacts slowly with strong acids under ordinary conditions to liberate <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/hydrogen" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">hydrogen</a> and form Ni<sup>2</sup><sup>+</sup> ions.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">China is the world’s largest nickel producer. Other major nickel-producing countries include <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Russia" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Russia</a>, Japan, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Australia" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Australia</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Canada" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Canada</a>.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=august-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <div class="mb-20"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="299687" data-asm-type="infogram"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="infogram"><script id="infogram_0__/z8pqlTWwRHqAnaNwFRkn" src="https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed.js?Itp" type="text/javascript" title="Explore an interactive periodic table of the elements"></script></div></figure></div></div> </section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref5264"> <h2 class="h1">Compounds</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In its compounds nickel exhibits oxidation states of −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, and +4, though the +2 state is by far the most common. Ni<sup>2+</sup> forms a large number of complexes, <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="encompassing" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encompassing" data-type="MW">encompassing</a> coordination numbers 4, 5, and 6 and all of the main structural types—e.g., octahedral, trigonal bipyramidal, tetrahedral, and square.</p><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD10 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Compounds with nickel in the +2 state have a variety of industrial applications. For example, nickel chloride, NiCl<sub>2</sub>, nickel nitrate, Ni(NO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>·6H<sub>2</sub><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/oxygen" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">O</a>, and nickel sulfamate, Ni(SO<sub>3</sub>NH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>∙4H<sub>2</sub>O, are employed chiefly in nickel electroplating baths. Nickel sulfate, NiSO<sub>4</sub>, is also used in nickel plating as well as in the preparation of <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="catalysts" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catalysts" data-type="MW">catalysts</a>, ground-coat enamels, and mordants (fixatives) for dyeing and textile printing. Nickel oxide, NiO, and nickel peroxide, Ni<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, are prepared for use in fuel cells and storage batteries, respectively. Nickel ferrites are utilized as magnetic cores for various types of electrical equipment such as antennas and transformers.</p><span class="marker MOD10 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD11 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Typical compounds of nickel in nature, in which it occurs primarily as minerals in combination with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/arsenic" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">arsenic</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/antimony" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">antimony</a>, and sulfur, are nickel <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/sulfide-inorganic" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">sulfide</a>, NiS; nickel <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/arsenide" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">arsenide</a>, NiAs; nickel antimonide, NiSb; nickel diarsenide, NiAs<sub>2</sub>; nickel thioarsenide, NiAsS; and nickel thioantimonide, NiSbS. In the sulfide nickel is in the +2 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/oxidation-number" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">oxidation state</a>, but in all the other compounds cited it is in the +3 state.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD11 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD12 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Among other important commercial compounds are <span id="ref242460"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/nickel-carbonyl" class="md-crosslink ">nickel carbonyl</a>, or tetracarbonylnickel, Ni(CO)<sub>4</sub>. This <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="compound" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compound" data-type="MW">compound</a>, in which nickel exhibits a zero oxidation state, is used primarily as a carrier of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/carbon-monoxide" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">carbon monoxide</a> in the synthesis of acrylates (compounds utilized in the manufacture of plastics) from acetylene and alcohols. It was the first of a class of compounds called metal carbonyls to be discovered (1890). The colourless, volatile liquid is formed by the action of carbon monoxide on finely divided nickel and is characterized by an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/electronic-configuration" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">electronic configuration</a> in which the nickel atom is surrounded by 36 electrons. This type of configuration is quite comparable to that of the noble-gas atoms.</p><span class="marker MOD12 mod-inline"></span> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span> </section> <span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/editor/Amy-Tikkanen/6393">Amy Tikkanen</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":414238,"pageLength":976,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-131/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.131.7"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-131/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.131.7' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":true} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Nickel | Definition, Properties, Symbol, Uses, & Facts | Britannica