Nickel

Nickel

14)

Nickel has been used as far back at 3500 BCE, but in 1751 Axel Fredrik Cronstedt first isolated and classified as a chemical element. He took niccolite and was expecting to extract copper out of it. But this was not the case when a white metal which he called Nickel after the mineral from which it was extracted.

15)

Nickel, a German word that means “Old Nick,” a name for the devil. Also, the German word for mineral niccolite, kupfernickel, which means “Old Nick’s copper.” It is pronounced NIK-‘l. It was given the name Nickel after the mineral it was extracted from, niccolite.

16)

Five physical characteristics of Nickel are: Nickel is a silvery, white metal with a high polish. It is hard, malleable, and ductile. Nickel is also somewhat ferromagnetic and is a fair conductor of heat and electricity.

17)

There are large amount of Nickel in Greenland and Canada. It is obtained commercially from pentlandite [(Fe,Ni)9S8] and pyrrhotite [Fe(1-x)S (x=0-0.17)]. Other sites include Sudbury region in Canada, New Caledonia and

Norils, Russia.

18)

Non-Radioactive Isotopes	Atomic Mass	Percent of Occurrence
58Ni	57.9353462	68.0769
60Ni	59.9307884	26.2231
61Ni	60.9310579	1.1399
62Ni	61.9283461	3.6345
64Ni	63.9279679	0.9256

Radioactive Isotopes	Mass
56Ni	55.94214
57Ni	56.939800
59Ni	58.934351
63Ni	62.929673
65Ni	64.930088
66Ni	65.92912

To find the average atomic mass, the scientist first adds up the mass (amu) of each non-radioactive isotope. After the mass is calculated, the number or isotopes is the number that the mass is divided by.

Ex. To find the average atomic mass for Nickel:

57.9353462

59.9307884 60.9307013

60.9310579 à 5)304.6535065

61.9283461

+63.9279679 The Average Atomic Mass for Nickel is 60.931

304.6535065

AMU – Atomic Mass Unit

19)

The universe has 60,000 ppb by weight of Nickel and 1,000 ppb by atoms. ppb stands for Parts Per Billion. In the earth’s crust, by weight there is 90 ppm and 32 ppm by atoms. Parts Per Million is abbreviated ppm.

20)

Nickel is not normally necessary to make nickel in the laboratory as it is available readily commercially. Small amounts of pure nickel can be isolated in the laboratory through the purification of crude nickel with carbon monoxide. The intermediate in this process is the highly toxic nickel tetracarbonyl, Ni(CO)₄. The carbonyl decomposes on heating to about 250°C to form pure nickel powder.

Ni + 4CO (50°C) → Ni(CO)₄ (230°C) → Ni + 4CO

The Ni(CO)₄ is a volatile complex which is easily flushed from the reaction vessel as a gas leaving the impurities behind. Industrially, the Mond process uses the same chemistry. Nickel oxides are reacted with "water gas", a mixture of CO + H₂). Reduction of the oxide with the hydrogen results in impure nickel. This reacts with the CO component of the water gas to make Ni(CO)₄ as above. Thermal decomposition leaves pure nickel metal.

21)

There are many uses for Nickel. Plating, magnets and common household utensils are some uses. The U.S. Government uses Nickel for coins, but even though there is a coin called nickel, it only has about 25% Nickel. The most popular use for Nickel is in engineering for its corrosion resistant property. Stainless steel, glass making, bullet-proof safes, and rechargeable batteries are other uses for the element Nickel.

22)

Nickel does not react under normal circumstances with air, water, and bases. Nickel does slowly react with acids such as dilute sulphuric acid and the halogen fluorine gas F₂. The dichloride, NiCl₂, dibromide, NiBr₂, and diiodide, NiI₂, are formed in the reactions of nickel metal and chlorine, Cl₂, bromine, Br₂, or iodine, I₂.

23)

There are some environmental hazards for Nickel. Small amounts of Nickel are shown to be normal for growth and the reproduction in some species of animals. Acute and high toxicity in water may harm aquatic life. Water hardness calculates the amount of Nickel in water; the softer the water, the more toxic it is. There is insufficient data for determining the short and long term effects of Nickel on plants, birds, or land animals.

EXTRA:

1)

He ThINKS CoRn IS PoISONoUS.

Symbol	Atomic Number
He	2
Th	90
I	53
N	7
K	19
S	16
Co	27
Rn	86
I	53
S	16
Po	84
I	53
S	16
O	8
No	102
U	92
S	16