Nickel

Nickel, Ni, is a transition metal element, found in Group VIII of the periodic table.

Atomic Number : 28
Relative Atomic Mass : 58.71

Discovery

Nickel was known to the ancient Chinese.

Occurrence

Nickel is usually found in association with cobalt.
Its principal ores are

nicollite, NiAs, (also known as Lupfernickel),
millerite, NiS,
nickel glance, NiAsS, and
garnierite, (NiMg)H2SiO4

Properties

Nickel is a moderately hard white metal.

Nickel does not tarnish in air at room temperature, but forms its oxide in superheated steam.

Nickel burns in oxygen giving nickelous oxide.

Nickel in only slowly attacked by hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid.

Nickel reacts readily with nitric acid yielding nickel nitrate.

Reactions

Uses

Nickel is used

in alloys,
to electroplate other metals, giving them a hard surface which does not tarnish in moist air, and
in a highly divided state is used as a catalyst in the hydrogenation of vegetable oils in the manufacture of margarine.

Detection and Analysis

Nickel is identified by the characteristic green colouration of solutions of its salts, and by the characteristic red colouration of the precipitate which they forms with dimethylglyoxime.

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