Nickel is a naturally occurring metallic element with a silvery-white, shiny appearance. It is the fifth most common element on earth and occurs extensively in the earth’s crust and core. Along with iron is also a common element in meteorites, and can even be found in small quantities in plants, animals and seawater.
Furthermore, Nickel has been found in metallic artefacts dating back more than 2000 years. It was first identified and isolated as an element by the Swedish chemist, Axel Cronstedt, in 1751. Mine production of nickel began in Norway in
1848, followed by New Caledonia in 1875 and Canada in 1886. During this period in the 19th century, it came to prominence in plating and in alloys such as “nickel silver” in which it is alloyed with copper and zinc (it does not actually contain any silver).
Nickel’s name comes from the German term ‘Kupfernickel’ or Devil’s Copper, as the miners in the 15th century thought the ore looked red-brown like copper – but it was too difficult to mine.
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