Nickel – Occurrence, Properties, Symbol, Uses, Facts

Nickel has the atomic number 28 and the chemical symbol Ni. It is a glossy silvery-white metal with a faint golden hue. Nickel is a transition metal that is hard and ductile at the same time. Pure nickel, powdered to maximize the reactive surface area, has high chemical activity; nevertheless, bigger pieces are slow to react with air under typical conditions because an oxide layer accumulates on the surface, preventing further corrosion (passivation). Despite this, pure native nickel is only found in trace amounts in the Earth’s crust, mostly in ultramafic rocks and the interiors of larger nickel-iron meteorites that were not exposed to oxygen while outside the atmosphere.

At room temperature, nickel is slowly oxidized by air and is considered corrosion-resistant. It has historically been used for plating iron and brass, coating chemistry equipment, and producing specific alloys with a high silvery finish, such as German silver. Approximately 9% of global nickel production is still used for corrosion-resistant nickel plating. Nickel allergy can occur when nickel-plated objects are used. Nickel has been commonly used in coins, though its rising price has resulted in considerable substitution with less expensive metals in recent years.

Nickel (0)

At normal temperature, nickel tetracarbonyl (Ni(CO)₄), discovered by Ludwig Mond, is a volatile, very poisonous liquid. The complex decomposes into nickel and carbon monoxide when heated:

Ni(CO)₄ ⇌ Ni + 4CO

Nickel (I)

Nickel(I) complexes are rare. Many nickel(I) complexes have Ni-Ni bonds, such as the dark red diamagnetic K₄[Ni₂(CN)₆], which is formed by reducing K₂[Ni₂(CN)₆] with sodium amalgam. In water, this molecule oxidizes, releasing H₂. The nickel(I) oxidation state is assumed to be significant for nickel-containing enzymes such as [NiFe]-hydrogenase, which catalyzes the reversible reduction of protons to H₂.

Nickel (II)

All common anions, including sulfide, sulfate, carbonate, hydroxide, carboxylates, and halides, form compounds with nickel(II). Nickel(II) sulfate is synthesized in large amounts by dissolving nickel metal or oxides in sulfuric acid, resulting in Hexa- and heptahydrates suitable for nickel electroplating. Nickel salts such as chloride, nitrate, and sulfate dissolve in water to form green solutions of the metal aquo complex [Ni(H₂O)₆]²⁺

Nickel (III) and (IV)

There are numerous Ni(III) compounds known. Furthermore, Ni(III) generates simple salts when combined with fluoride or oxide ions. Thiols and other -donor ligands can stabilize Ni(III). Ni(IV) is present in the mixed oxide BaNiO₃, whereas Ni(III) is present in nickel oxide hydroxide, which is used as the cathode in many rechargeable batteries, including nickel-cadmium, nickel-iron, nickel-hydrogen, and nickel-metal hydride, and is employed in Li-ion batteries by some manufacturers. Ni(IV) is a rare oxidation state of nickel, with only a handful of compounds discovered to date.

Extraction and discovery of Nickel

Typical metallurgical cold and hot working techniques can easily manufacture nickel. The majority of nickel ores contain nickel sulfide (NiS). When these minerals are heated in the air, the nickel sulfide is converted into nickel oxide. Furthermore, when you treat nickel oxide with a chemical, you get pure nickel when the oxygen is removed.

While experimenting on a new metal derived from a mine near Los, Hälsingland, Sweden, Baron Axel Fredrik Cronstedt initially assumed it was copper. As a result, nickel was previously known as “Kupfer Nickel.”

Occurrence

Nickel occurs most frequently on Earth in the minerals pentlandite and millerite, with sulfur in millerite, arsenic in nickeline, and with arsenic and sulfur in nickel galena. Nickel is typically found as the alloy kamacite and taenite in iron meteorites. The presence of nickel in meteorites was discovered in 1799 by Joseph-Louis Proust, a French scientist working in Spain at the time. The majority of nickel is extracted from two types of ore deposits. The first is laterite, which has nickeliferous limonite and garnierite as the main ore mineral combinations (a mixture of various hydrous nickel and nickel-rich silicates).

Physical Properties of Nickel

1. This crystal structure can withstand pressures of up to 70 GPa.
2. Nickel is classified as a transition metal.
3. It is hard, malleable, and ductile, with a high electrical and thermal conductivity for a transition metal.
4. It possesses a high compressive strength.

Chemical Properties of Nickel

1. Nickel is a silvery-white metal with a slight golden hue that may be polished to a high shine.
2. It is one of only four elements that is magnetic at or near room temperature, along with iron, cobalt, and gadolinium.
3. Nickel’s unit cell is a face-centered cube.

Electron configuration dispute

The nickel atom contains two electron configurations that are very near in energy, [Ar] 3d⁸ 4s² and [Ar] 3d⁹ 4s¹. There is some debate about whether the configuration has the least amount of energy. The electron configuration of nickel is given in chemistry textbooks as [Ar] 4s² 3d⁸. This configuration is consistent with the Madelung energy ordering rule, which predicts that 4s will be filled before 3d. It is backed by the experimental finding that the nickel atom’s lowest energy state is a 3d⁸ 4s² energy level.

However, due to fine structure, each of these two configurations breaks into numerous energy levels, and the two sets of energy levels overlap. The average energy of states with configuration [Ar] 3d⁹ 4s¹ is lower than that of states with configuration [Ar] 3d⁸ 4s². As a result, the ground state configuration of nickel is given in the scientific literature on atomic computations as [Ar] 3d⁹ 4s¹.

Compounds

Nickel’s most common oxidation state is +2, but compounds of Ni, Ni+, and Ni³⁺ are well known, and the unusual oxidation states Ni^2- and Ni^– have been generated and researched.

Application of Nickel

1. The most important application of this element is in the production of coins.
2. Because of its capacity to resist corrosion even at high temperatures, it is utilized in gas turbines and rocket engines.
3. It is used to create a variety of alloys, which are then used to create armor plates, nails, and pipes.
4. Monel (alloys of nickel and copper) is a robust composition that can withstand seawater corrosion. As a result, it is employed in boat propeller shafts and desalination facilities.
5. The Ni element is found in a variety of batteries, including nickel-metal hydride batteries and rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries.
6. Because nickel characteristics make the metal pliable and flexible, it is a good material for making wires.
7. Superalloys made by combining ni with iron or cobalt are used in gas turbines and jet engine components.
8. Nickel is used in a variety of appliances and everyday products, including hand-held power tools, camcorders, scanner radios, guitar strings, laptop computers, and cellular and cordless telephones.
9. Desalination plants frequently use a copper-nickel alloy to convert seawater to freshwater.
10. Nickel dimethylglyoxime compound is used as a coloring ingredient in cosmetics, paints, and some types of polymers.
11. Nickel is also used for electroplating on other metals, which is a significant application of this natural chemical.

Sample Questions

Question 1: Is [NiCl₄]²⁻ tetrahedral and paramagnetic?

Answer:

Despite the fact that both [NiCl₄]^2- and [Ni(CO)₄ are tetrahedral, their magnetic properties differ. This is owing to the different nature of the ligands. Cl^– is a weak field ligand, hence it does not pair unpaired 3d electrons. As a result, [NiCl₄]₂ is paramagnetic.

Question 2: Why is NiCl₄ square planar?

Answer:

All electrons are coupled up in the presence of strong field CN^– ions. In square planar geometry, the vacant 4d, 3s, and two 4p orbitals undergo dsp2 hybridization to form bonds with CN– ligands. As a result, [Ni(CN)4]2- is diamagnetic.

Question 3: What is nickel used for?

Answer:

Nickel is a silvery-white metal that is mostly used to strengthen stainless steel and other alloys and make them more resistant to severe temperatures and corrosive environments.

Question 4: What are some negative effects of Nickel?

Answer:

Nickel, like many other metals on the planet, has some negative effects on humans if too much of it enters the body. For starters, inhaling some nickel compounds during mining can induce untreatable allergies in miners. These workers are more likely to develop fibrosis, lung cancer, and other diseases. When high concentrations of nickel accumulate in the air, soil, food, or water supply, humans are at danger of poisoning.

Question 5: Is Nickel a Good Conductor of Electricity?

Answer:

Yes, nickel, like any other metal, is a relatively good electrical conductor. It is for this reason that nickel elements are used in a variety of electronic equipment. Furthermore, nickel wires conduct electrons nearly as well as copper wires.

Question 6: How is nickel used in rocket engines?

Answer:

Because of its capacity to resist corrosion even at high temperatures, it is utilised in gas turbines and rocket engines.

Question 7: What is monel?

Answer:

Monel (alloys of nickel and copper) is a robust composition that can withstand seawater corrosion.