All About Nickel Alloys

Author: Dinesh Chandan

Alloys are metallic materials which consist of two or more elements. These two elements are combined in such a way that they cannot be separated through physical means. Most of the metals are used in the form of alloys. Alloys are known to represent an enormous family of engineering materials that provide useful properties to different products. Every alloy is different from its components, and their properties are also distinct.

Nickel alloys are derivatives of nickel that are used for different purposes and in different products. These alloys are used for different purposes and with different materials such as stainless steel, electroplating, tint in glass and coins. Discussed below is more on the history, features and types of nickel alloys:

History of nickel alloys

Nickel has been in use since 3500 B.C. Bronze which was available in that period contained significant amount of nickel. During the ancient times, nickel ore was mistaken for silver. It was in 1751; Baron Axel Cronstedt made an attempt to extract copper from an ore up ended up finding a white metal which is today called, nickel. In the United States, nickel was referred to as an Indian cent coin which was made of a mixture of copper and nickel.

Features of nickel alloys

Nickel alloys are known for their remarkable features and some of them are listed below:

  • Nickel is silvery-white in color and it polishes well.
  • Nickel is naturally magnetic which makes it smaller in the presence of a magnetic field.
  • It is hard and ductile. It can be stretched with relative ease.
  • Nickel reacts very slowly in the air at normal temperatures and pressures.

Types of nickel alloys

  • The predominant alloy of nickel is nickel steel. It is created by alloying nickel and iron. This provides iron with a lot of strength.
  • Another alloy is nickel silver which is made by combining nickel and copper. It is commonly used as a base metal onto which real silver is electroplated.
  • Nickel alloy can also be made into bronze. It can be used in the formation of different heat and electrically resistant alloys.

To sum up, an alloy can enhance properties of the original metals. Nickel in particular is very useful for alloys as they are very corrosion-resistant. Nickel alloys are created for increasing nickel’s strength and its anti-corrosive properties. It also helps in making it more suitable for electroplating. Superior quality Nickel Alloys can be sourced from reputed Nickel Alloy Manufacturers In India.