Nickel

Nickel was already present in ancient times, though not recognized as such. Syrian bronze from around 3300 BC contained about two percent nickel, likely originating from copper or tin ores. Chinese writings from between 1700 and 1400 BC mention “white copper” (nickel silver).

Nickel was first isolated in pure form in 1751 by Axel Frederic Cronstedt and named after the mineral copper-nickel (Swedish: kopparnickel, today called nickeline), in which he discovered the previously unknown metal. The name copper-nickel originated from medieval miners in the Ore Mountains who mistook the ore for copper. When no copper could be extracted, they believed the ore was cursed by mountain spirits called “Nickeln.” A similar origin applies to the name cobalt (“kobold”), which is often found together with nickel.

From the mid-19th century onwards, nickel was used in coinage. The first pure nickel coin was minted in 1881.

In 1889, James Riley developed nickel-containing steels.

About two-thirds of produced nickel is used in the steel industry. Nickel improves the corrosion resistance, toughness, and heat resistance of steel.

However, the growing demand for nickel is driven by the battery industry. Nickel is a key component in the cathodes of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. Forecasts predict that by 2030, over 30 percent of global nickel demand will come from the battery sector.

Other applications for nickel include superalloys for the aerospace industry and standard alloys for equipment in the chemical industry.

Nickel can be economically extracted from sulfide or laterite ores, with more than three-quarters of global nickel currently coming from lateritic sources. These ores are mainly found in tropical and subtropical regions. While sulfide ores generally have a higher nickel content, laterite ores are cheaper to mine. However, they require significantly more land use, and mining in tropical areas poses serious risks to biodiversity.

The most important lateritic nickel ores are garnierite and limonite, whereas
pentlandite is the main mineral in sulfide deposits.

Nickel deposits are often associated with cobalt, making both metals important by-products of one another.

Indonesia is by far the world’s leading nickel producer, extracting laterite ores. Its nickel industry is closely tied to Chinese companies, which operate numerous smelters and refineries in the country — including major sites like the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) and the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park. Indonesia also holds the largest nickel reserves globally.

The Philippines ranks as the second-largest producer, also focused on lateritic ores.

The Weda Bay mine, located on the Indonesian island of Halmahera, is the largest nickel mine in the world. It is operated by a joint venture between Tsingshan (China), Eramet (France), and PT Antam Tbk (a state-owned Indonesian company).

Tsingshan Holding Group, a Chinese steel giant, is the world's largest nickel producer. Norilsk Nickel (Russia) is the top producer of high-purity nickel, while Vale (Brazil) ranks third among the global producers.

Global annual nickel production stands at around 3.5 million tonnes, and demand is rising — especially driven by the battery industry.

Nickel-lean, duplex, or ultra-high-chromium stainless steels are used in construction as substitutes for austenitic steels (which contain over 8% nickel).
In the power generation and petrochemical industries, nickel-free specialty steels are sometimes used in place of conventional stainless steel.
In highly corrosive chemical environments, titanium alloys can replace nickel metal or nickel-based alloys.