The fast-spinning turbines reached high temperatures and stresses and once again required new metal alloys to withstand these forces. Nickel was used as a strengthening agent in many of these alloys. Similar needs for stress and temperature resistance prompted the use of nickel-containing alloys in the burgeoning space race. Rocket engines have similar engineering demands as jet engines due to the high temperature and pressure of exhaust gases, and they also must endure extreme vibration caused by the combustion of rocket fuels.
The early space industry used nickel in conjunction with other high-strength materials like titanium to create new classes of superalloys capable of withstanding the turbulence of space flight.
Recent studies have shown that nickel processing and refinement can produce harmful health consequences. Research during the s showed early indications that nickel compounds such as nickel carbonyl could cause lung tumors in laboratory rats.
Later studies conducted during the s by the United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA demonstrated that prolonged exposure to high levels of nickel refinery dust, nickel carbonyl or nickel subsulfide — all direct byproducts of nickel refining and metals processing — could cause cancer.
Inhalation of nickel-containing fumes from welding of stainless steel was also found to be associated with increased cancer risk. This led to federal regulations limiting the amount of certain nickel compounds acceptable in the workplace and the environment. If inhaled in certain forms at high concentrations over a long enough period of time, nickel is indeed carcinogenic to human beings. Modern industrial hygiene practices have helped to curb these nickel-induced health complications.
By far the most common health-related effect of exposure to nickel is an allergic reaction. Some people are genetically predisposed to becoming sensitized to nickel if they directly handle the metal often enough. Once sensitized, dermatitis — an allergic reaction on the skin — can occur at the site of contact, causing rashes and, in extreme cases, asthma attacks. An estimated 5 to 10 percent of the population is susceptible to nickel allergies.
Though nickel is used primarily in the steel industry to strengthen and add corrosion resistance to high-quality steels, it has found its way into a host of everyday objects. Nickel-containing household objects include faucets, kitchen utensils, appliances, rechargeable batteries nickel-cadmium or Ni-Cad variety , jewelry and of course coins.
Like the ancients, most of us probably use nickel products without even knowing it. Toxicological profile for nickel. Atlanta, GA: U. Nickel: an Historical Review. New York: D. Puerto Rico Sulfidic deposits 0. Puerto Rico Lateritic deposits , Zambia Sulfidic deposits , Zambia Lateritic deposits 0.
North Macedonia Sulfidic deposits 0. North Macedonia Lateritic deposits , Ethiopia Sulfidic deposits 0. Ethiopia Lateritic deposits , Venezuela Sulfidic deposits 0. Venezuela Lateritic deposits , Vietnam Sulfidic deposits , Vietnam Lateritic deposits 0. Togo Sulfidic deposits 0. Togo Lateritic deposits , Poland Sulfidic deposits 0. Poland Lateritic deposits , Spain Sulfidic deposits 72, Spain Lateritic deposits 0.
Norway Sulfidic deposits 60, Norway Lateritic deposits 0. Malawi Sulfidic deposits 0. Malawi Lateritic deposits 30, Argentina Sulfidic deposits 18, Argentina Lateritic deposits 0. Kosovo Sulfidic deposits 0. Kosovo Lateritic deposits , Nickel reserves. Australia 19,, tonnes.
Spain , tonnes. United States , tonnes. Brazil 11,, tonnes. Canada 2,, tonnes. China 2,, tonnes. Colombia , tonnes. Cuba 5,, tonnes. Guatemala 1,, tonnes. Indonesia 21,, tonnes. Madagascar 1,, tonnes. Philippines 4,, tonnes. Russia 7,, tonnes. South Africa 3,, tonnes. Other countries 6,, tonnes. There are many different nickel ores requiring a variety of techniques to extract the nickel.
Nickel-containing ores are currently mined in more than 25 countries worldwide. Dominican Republic. New Caledonia. Papua New Guinea. South Africa. South Korea. United Kingdom. Source: INSG. Stainless steel. It also stimulates the metabolism, as well as being a key metal in several plant and animal enzymes.
Rats raised on a nickel-poor diet tend to develop liver damage. Nickel is obtained from two main types of deposits from the mineral garnierite Ni-silicate in nickel-rich laterite formed by weathering of ultramafic rocks in tropical climates. It also is mined from Ni-sulfide concentrations, mainly from pentlandite in igneous mafic rocks. Nickel is a common component of metal rich asteroids and meteoroids.
Production from laterite deposits is likely to increase as the nickel resources in existing sulfide mines are depleted. To help predict where future nickel supplies might be located, USGS scientists study how and where nickel resources are concentrated in Earth's crust and use that knowledge to assess the likelihood that undiscovered nickel deposits may exist. Techniques to assess mineral resources have been developed by the USGS to support the stewardship of Federal lands and to evaluate mineral resource availability in a global context.
The USGS also compiles statistics and information on the worldwide supply of, demand for, and flow of nickel. These data are used to inform U. Did You Know? The 5-cent circulating coins "nickels" produced currently by the United States Mint contain 25 percent nickel and 75 percent copper, by weight. Special nickel-titanium alloys, known as "shape memory alloys", are used in some eyeglass frames because they can bounce back into shape after being bent. Beer kegs made of nickel-bearing stainless steel often stay in use for 30 to 40 years.
Chondrites, the most common type of meteorite, contain to 1, times more nickel than almost any Earth rock. Find Other Topics on Geology. Maps Volcanoes World Maps. Rocks: Galleries of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock photos with descriptions.
Minerals: Information about ore minerals, gem materials and rock-forming minerals. Volcanoes: Articles about volcanoes, volcanic hazards and eruptions past and present. Gemstones: Colorful images and articles about diamonds and colored stones.
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