Nickel CAS 7440-02-0
Introduction：Basic information about Nickel CAS 7440-02-0, including its chemical name, molecular formula, synonyms, physicochemical properties, and safety information, etc.
Nickel Basic informationHistory Uses Discovery Production Reactions Toxicity
| Product Name: | Nickel |
| Synonyms: | ACTIMET 8040P;ACTIMET C;Nickel wire, 0.01mm (0.0004 in.) dia., Hard, Temper: as drawn;Nickel tubing, OD: 1.59mm (0.0626 in.) ID: 0.51mm (0.02 in.);Nickel wire, 1.0mm (0.04 in.) dia., Annealed;Nickel, p.a.;Nickel, Hard;Silver Nitrate Solution, 0.25N |
| CAS: | 7440-02-0 |
| MF: | Ni |
| MW: | 58.69 |
| EINECS: | 231-111-4 |
| Product Categories: | Reference/Calibration Standards;NA - NIReference/Calibration Standards;Application CRMs;Certified Reference Materials (CRMs);Industrial Raw MaterialsAlphabetic;Reactor DosimetryCertified Reference Materials (CRMs);Reactor Neutron Dosimetry;Reactor Neutron DosimetryCertified Reference Materials (CRMs);28: Ni;Nanomaterials;Nanoparticles: Metals and Metal AlloysMetal and Ceramic Science;Nanopowders and Nanoparticle Dispersions;NickelNanomaterials;nano structured material;Inorganics;Alternative Energy;Electrode MaterialsMetal and Ceramic Science;Materials Science;Metal and Ceramic Science;Industrial Raw Materials;Industrial Raw MaterialsApplication CRMs;Industrial Raw MaterialsCertified Reference Materials (CRMs);IRMM/BCR Certified Reference Materials;Matrix CRMs;Metals&AlloysAlphabetic;N;NA - NICertified Reference Materials (CRMs);Physical Properties;supported metal catalyst;metal or element;Catalysts for Organic Synthesis;Classes of Metal Compounds;Heterogeneous Catalysts;Ni (Nickel) Compounds;Synthetic Organic Chemistry;Transition Metal Compounds;NickelMetal and Ceramic Science;Catalysis and Inorganic Chemistry;Chemical Synthesis;Metals |
| Mol File: | 7440-02-0.mol |
Nickel Chemical Properties
| Melting point | 1453 °C (lit.) |
| Boiling point | 2732 °C (lit.) |
| bulk density | 1600-2600kg/m3 |
| density | 8.9 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.) |
| vapor density | 5.8 (vs air) |
| storage temp. | no restrictions. |
| solubility | insoluble in H2O; slightly soluble in dilute acid solutions |
| form | wire |
| color | White to gray-white |
| Specific Gravity | 8.9 |
| Flame Color | Colorless to silvery white |
| Odor | Odorless |
| PH | 8.5-12.0 |
| PH Range | 9 - 11 at 20 °C |
| resistivity | 6.97 μΩ-cm, 20°C |
| Water Solubility | It is insoluble in water. |
| Sensitive | air sensitive |
| Merck | 14,8107 |
| Exposure limits | TLA-TWA (metal) 1 mg/m3 (ACGIH,MSHA, and OSHA); (soluble inorganic compounds)0.1 mg(Ni)/m3 (ACGIH) 0.015 mg(Ni)/m3 (NIOSH); (insoluble inorganic compounds)1 mg/m3 (ACGIH). |
| Stability: | Stable in massive form. Powder is pyrophoric - can ignite spontaneously. May react violently with titanium, ammonium nitrate, potassium perchlorate, hydrazoic acid. Incompatible with acids, oxidizing agents, sulfur. |
| InChI | 1S/Ni |
| InChIKey | PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
| SMILES | [Ni] |
| Shear Modulus | 76.0 GPa |
| Modulus of Elasticity | 207 GPa |
| Poissons Ratio | 0.31 |
| CAS DataBase Reference | 7440-02-0(CAS DataBase Reference) |
| IARC | 2B (Vol. Sup 7, 49) 1990 |
| NIST Chemistry Reference | Nickel(7440-02-0) |
| EPA Substance Registry System | Nickel (7440-02-0) |
Safety Information
| Hazard Codes | C,Xi,Xn,F,T |
| Risk Statements | 34-50/53-43-40-10-17-52/53-48/23 |
| Safety Statements | 26-45-60-61-36-22-36/37-16-15-5-36/37/39-43-28 |
| RIDADR | UN 1493 5.1/PG 2 |
| OEB | D |
| OEL | TWA: 0.015 mg/m3 [*Note: The REL does not apply to Nickel carbonyl.] |
| WGK Germany | 3 |
| RTECS | VW4725000 |
| F | 8 |
| Autoignition Temperature | 87 °C |
| TSCA | TSCA listed |
| HazardClass | 4.1 |
| PackingGroup | II |
| HS Code | 38151100 |
| Storage Class | 6.1D - Non-combustible acute toxic Cat.3 toxic hazardous materials or hazardous materials causing chronic effects |
| Hazard Classifications | Carc. 2 Skin Sens. 1 STOT RE 1 |
| Hazardous Substances Data | 7440-02-0(Hazardous Substances Data) |
| Toxicity | Occupational exposuresmay occur in its mining, smelting, and refining. The generalpopulation ingests nickel in food. Skin sensitization anddermatitis leading to chronic eczema, called “nickel itch,”frequently occurs, especially in wearers of pierced earrings.Nickel can also irritate the conjunctiva and respiratory tractmucous membranes. Absorption from the digestive tract ispoor, so systemic poisoning is rare, but since it is an irritantit acts as an emetic. Systemic effects include hyperglycemia,capillary damage, CNS depression, myocardial weakness, andkidney damage. Nickel and its compounds are carcinogenicfollowing inhalation, but not following ingestion or skin contact. Cancer of the lung and nasal passages results, with alatent period of about 25 years; smokers are at greater risk.In addition to irritation and carcinogenesis, nickel carbonyl(nickel tetracarbonyl, Ni(CO)4) exerts relatively mild, tran_x0002_sientinitial symptoms including headache, giddiness, nausea,and shortness of breath. These symptoms are followed byvery serious symptoms hours to days later, consisting of tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, rapid respiration, pulmonary edema, cyanosis, and extreme weakness; this can befatal. Heat decomposition of nickel carbonyl yields carbonmonoxide. Chelating agents can be used to remove nickelfrom the body. |
| IDLA | 10 mg Ni/m3 |
| History | Nickel was isolated first and recognized as an element by Cronstedt in 1751. The metal was derived in pure form by Richter in 1804. The metal takes its name from two German words ‘Nickel’ and ‘kupfernickel’, which mean Old Nick’s (or Satan) and Old Nick’s copper, respectively. The abundance of nickel in the earth’s crust is only 84 mg/kg, the 24th most abundant element. It is found in most meteorites, particularly in the iron meteorites or siderites, alloyed with iron. Its average concentration in seawater is 0.56 μg/mL. Nickel is one of the major components of the earth’s core, comprising about 7%. The most common nickel ores are pentlandite, (Ni,Fe)9S16, limonite, (Fe,Ni)O(OH)•nH2O, and garnierite, (Ni,Mg)6Si4O10(OH)8. Other ores that are of rare occurrence are the sulfide ores, millerite, NiS, polydymite Ni3S4 and siegenite, (Co,Ni)3S4; the arsenide ores niccolite, NiAs, gersdorffite, NiAsS, and annabergite, Ni3As2O8•8H2O; and the antimonide ore, NiSb. |
| Uses | The most important applications of nickel metal involve its use in numerous alloys. Such alloys are used to construct various equipment, reaction vessels, plumbing parts, missile, and aerospace components. Such nickel-based alloys include Monel, Inconel, Hastelloy, Nichrome, Duranickel, Udinet, Incoloy and many other alloys under various other trade names. The metal itself has some major uses. Nickel anodes are used for nickel plating of many base metals to enhance their resistance to corrosion. Nickel-plated metals are used in various equipment, machine parts, printing plates, and many household items such as scissors, keys, clips, pins, and decorative pieces. Nickel powder is used as porous electrodes in storage batteries and fuel cells. Another major industrial use of nickel is in catalysis. Nickel and raney nickel are used in catalytic hydrogenation or dehydrogenation of organic compounds including olefins, fats, and oils. |
| Discovery | Nickel was first discovered and isolated by the Swedish chemist Axel Kronstadt in 1751. In the 19th century, nickel was widely used in electroplating and alloy manufacturing (such as nickel-silver alloy, also known as German silver). Nickel-silver alloy is named for its color but does not actually contain silver. The United States first used nickel-copper alloys in coins in 1857. At that time, "nickel" was not pure nickel. Switzerland began using pure nickel to manufacture coins in 1881. Stainless steel was discovered in the early 20th century, and nickel played a crucial role in many commonly used stainless steels, a role that continues to this day. The excellent corrosion resistance and high-temperature resistance of nickel-based alloys made them suitable for chemical plants and ultimately led to the practical application of jet engines. Due to these developments, the demand for nickel has increased dramatically over the past century. Today, this growth momentum remains strong because nickel plays a vital role in many technological fields. |
| Production | Nickel usually is recovered from its sulfide ore, pentlandite (Ni,Fe)9S16. Although laterite type oxide ores sometimes are used as starting materials, pentlandite is used in many commercial operations. Pentlandite often is found in nature associated with other sulfide minerals, such as pyrrhotite, Fe7S8,and chalcopyrite, CuFeS2. The ores are crushed and powdered. Sulfides are separated from gangue by froth flotation or magnetic separation processes. After this, the ore is subjected to roasting and smelting. These steps are carried out initially in rotary kilns or multihearth furnaces and then smelting is done in either blast furnaces or reverberatory, or arc furnaces. Most sulfur is removed as sulfur dioxide. Iron and other oxides produced in roasting are also removed along with siliceous slag during smelting. A matte obtained after smelting usually contains impure nickel-iron-copper sulfides and sulfur. The molten matte is treated with silica and an air blower in a converter in the Bessemerizing stage to remove all remaining iron and sulfur. Copper-nickel matte obtained in this stage is allowed to cool slowly over a few days to separate mineral crystals of copper sulfide, nickel sulfide and nickel-copper alloy. The cool matte is pulverized to isolate sulfides of nickel and copper by froth flotation. Nickel-copper alloy is extracted by magnetic separation. Nickel metal is obtained from the nickel sulfide by electrolysis using crude nickel sulfide cast into anodes and nickel-plated stainless steel cathodes. Alternatively, nickel sulfide is roasted to nickel oxide, which then is reduced to crude nickel and is electrorefined as above. Two other refining processes are also frequently employed. One involves hydrometallurgical refining in which sulfide concentrates are leached with ammonia solution to convert the copper, nickel, and cobalt sulfides into their complex amines. Copper is precipitated from this solution upon heating. Under such conditions, the sulfide-amine mixture of nickel and cobalt are oxidized to their sulfates. The sulfates then are reduced to metallic nickel and cobalt by heating with hydrogen at elevated temperatures under pressure. The metals are obtained in their powder form. The more common carbonyl refining process involves reaction of crude nickel with carbon monoxide under pressure at 100°C to form nickel tetracarbonyl, Ni(CO)4. The liquid tetracarbonyl upon heating at 300°C decomposes to nickel metal and carbon monoxide. Very pure nickel can be obtained by the carbonyl refining processes, as no other metal forms a similar carbonyl under these conditions. |
| Reactions | At ordinary temperatures, bulk nickel in compact form has no perceptible reactivity with air or water. However, in finely-divided state, the metal reacts readily and can be pyrophoric under certain conditions. When heated in air at 400°C or with steam, nickel converts to its oxide, NiO. When heated with bromine vapors or chlorine gas, nickel catches fire forming nickel bromide, NiBr2, and yellow nickel chloride, NiCl2, respectively. Finely divided nickel combines with carbon monoxide to form zero valent nickel tetracarbonyl, Ni(CO)4. The reaction occurs at 50°C and one atmosphere, although it is usually carried out at 200°C under high CO pressure between 100 to 400 atm for high yield of carbonyl, and to prevent product decomposition. Carbon monoxide at ordinary pressure may be passed over freshly reduced metal to form the tetracarbonyl. Finely divided nickel absorbs a large volume of hydrogen at high temperatures. Even at ordinary temperatures, considerable occlusion of hydrogen occurs on to the metal surface and no definite composition of any hydride formed is known. The metal activates molecular hydrogen to its atomic state, contributing to its catalytic action in hydrogenation of unsaturated compounds. Dilute mineral acids attack nickel to a varying extent. The metal dissolves readily in dilute nitric acid. Evaporation of the solution forms emerald green crystals of nickel nitrate hexahydrate, Ni(NO3)2•6H2O. Actions of dilute hydrochloric and sulfuric acid on nickel are relatively slow: slower than on iron. Concentrated nitric acid passivates the metal, oxidizing it and forming a protective film on its surface which prevents any further reaction. Nickel is stable in caustic alkalies. At moderate temperatures, it decomposes gaseous ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen. Nickel combines with sulfur, phosphorus, carbon, arsenic, antimony, and aluminum at elevated temperatures. Fusion of nickel powder with molten sulfur yields nickel sulfide, NiS. Reaction with aluminum can be explosive at 1,300°C, forming nickelaluminum intermetallic products of varying compositions. Nickel powder combines with carbon dioxide in ammonia solution forming nickel carbonate. Boiling the solution to expel ammonia precipitates pure carbonate, NiCO3. Fine nickel powder reacts with sulfamic acid in hot aqueous solution under controlled conditions, forming nickel sulfamate tetrahydrate, Ni(SO3NH2)2•4H2O, used in electroplating baths. |
| Toxicity | Skin contact can cause dermatitis and a type of chronic eczema, known as “nickel itch”, caused by hypersensitivity reactions of nickel on the skin (Patnaik, P. 1999. A Comprehensive Guide to the Hazardous Properties of Chemical Substances, 2nd ed. pp. 621-622, New York: John Wiley & Sons.) Although oral toxicity of the metal is very low, ingestion may cause hyperglycemia and depression of the central nervous system. Chronic inhalation of nickel dust can cause lung and sinus cancers in humans. Nickel and certain of its compounds are listed by IARC under Group 2B carcinogens as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (International Agency for Research on Cancer. 1990. IARC Monograph, Vol. 49: Geneva.) |
| Description | Nickel is a hard, silvery white, malleable metal chunk or grey powder. Nickel powder is pyrophoric – can ignite spontaneously. It may react violently with titanium, ammonium nitrate, potassium perchlorate, and hydrazoic acid. It is incompatible with acids, oxidising agents, and sulphur. The industrially important nickel compounds are nickel oxide (NiO), nickel acetate (Ni(C2H3O2), nickel carbonate (NiCO3), nickel carbonyl (Ni(CO)4), nickel subsulphide (NiS2), nickelocene (C5H5)2Ni, and nickel sulphate hexahydrate (NiSO4 · 6H2O). Nickel compounds have been well established as human carcinogens. Investigations into the molecular mechanisms of nickel carcinogenesis have revealed that not all nickel compounds are equally carcinogenic: certain water-insoluble nickel compounds exhibit potent carcinogenic activity, whereas highly water-soluble nickel compounds exhibit less potency. The reason for the high carcinogenic activity of certain water-insoluble nickel compounds relates to their bioavailability and the ability of the nickel ions to enter cells and reach chromatin. The water-insoluble nickel compounds enter cells quite efficiently via phagocytic processes and subsequent intracellular dissolution. Nickel is classified as a borderline metal ion because it has both soft and hard metal properties and it can bind to sulphur, nitrogen, and oxygen groups. Nickel ions are very similar in structure and coordination properties to magnesium. |
| Chemical Properties | silver white, hard, malleable metal chunks or grey powder |
| Chemical Properties | RANEY NICKEL is a hard, ductile, magnetic metal with a silver-white color. |
| Physical properties | Nickel metal does not exist freely in nature. Rather, it is located as compounds in ores ofvarying colors, ranging from reddish-brown rocks to greenish and yellowish deposits, andin copper ores. Once refined from its ore, the metallic nickel is a silver-white and hard butmalleable and ductile metal that can be worked hot or cold to fabricate many items. Nickel,located in group 10, and its close neighbor, copper, just to its right in group 11 of the periodictable, have two major differences. Nickel is a poor conductor of electricity, and copper is anexcellent conductor, and although copper is not magnetic, nickel is. Nickel’s melting point is1,455°C, its boiling point is 2,913°C, and its density is 8.912 g/cm3. |
| Isotopes | There are 31 isotopes of nickel, ranging from Ni-48 to Ni-78. Five of these arestable, and the percentage of their contribution to the element’s natural existence onEarth are as follows: Ni-58 = 68.077%, Ni-60 = 26.223%, Ni-61 = 1.140%, Ni-62 =3.634%, and Ni 64 = 0.926%. All of the other 26 isotopes of nickel are artificially madeand radioactive with half-lives ranging from a few nanoseconds to 7.6×104 years. |
| Origin of Name | The name is derived from the ore niccolite, meaning “Old Nick,”referred to as the devil by German miners. The niccolite mineral ore was also called“kupfernickel,” which in German stands for two things; first, it is the name of a gnome(similar to Cobalt), and second, it refers to “Old Nick’s false copper.” |
| Occurrence | Nickel is the 23rd most abundant element found in the Earth’s crust. It is somewhat plentiful but scattered and makes up one-hundredth of 1% of igneous rocks. Nickel metal is foundin meteorites (as are some other elements). It is believed that molten nickel, along with iron,makes up the central sphere that forms the core of the Earth.There are several types of nickel ores. One is the major ore for nickel called pentlandite(NiS ? 2FeS), which is iron/nickel sulfide. Another is a mineral called niccolite (NiAs), discovered in 1751 and first found in a mining area of Sweden. By far, the largest mining area fornickel is located in Ontario, Canada, where it is recovered from what is thought to be a verylarge meteorite that crashed into the Earth eons ago. This large nickel deposit is one reasonfor the theory of the Earth’s core being molten nickel and iron, given that both the Earth andmeteorites were formed during the early stages of the solar system. Some nickel ores are alsofound in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Scandinavia. Traces of nickel exist in soils, coal,plants, and animals. |
| Characteristics | As mentioned, nickel is located in group 10 (VIII) and is the third element in the specialtriad (Fe, Co, Ni) of the first series of the transition elements. Nickel’s chemical and physicalproperties, particularly its magnetic peculiarity, are similar to iron and cobalt.Some acids will attack nickel, but it offers excellent protection from corrosion from air andseawater. This quality makes it excellent for electroplating other metals to form a protectivecoating. Nickel is also an excellent alloy metal, particularly with iron, for making stainless steelas well as a protective armor for military vehicles. It is malleable and can be drawn throughdies to form wires. About one pound of nickel metal can be drawn to about 200 miles of thinwire. |
| History | Discovered by Cronstedt in 1751 in kupfernickel (niccolite).Nickel is found as a constituent in most meteorites and oftenserves as one of the criteria for distinguishing a meteoritefrom other minerals. Iron meteorites, or siderites, may containiron alloyed with from 5 to nearly 20% nickel. Nickel isobtained commercially from pentlandite and pyrrhotite of theSudbury region of Ontario, a district that produces much ofthe world’s nickel. It is now thought that the Sudbury depositis the result of an ancient meteorite impact. Large depositsof nickel, cobalt, and copper have recently been developed atVoisey’s Bay, Labrador. Other deposits of nickel are found inRussia, New Caledonia, Australia, Cuba, Indonesia, and elsewhere.Nickel is silvery white and takes on a high polish. It ishard, malleable, ductile, somewhat ferromagnetic, and a fairconductor of heat and electricity. It belongs to the iron-cobaltgroup of metals and is chiefly valuable for the alloys it forms. Itis extensively used for making stainless steel and other corrosion-resistant alloys such as Invar?, Monel?, Inconel?, and theHastelloys?. Tubing made of a copper-nickel alloy is extensivelyused in making desalination plants for converting sea waterinto fresh water. Nickel is also now used extensively in coinageand in making nickel steel for armor plate and burglar-proofvaults, and is a component in Nichrome?, Permalloy?, andconstantan. Nickel added to glass gives a green color. Nickelplating is often used to provide a protective coating for othermetals, and finely divided nickel is a catalyst for hydrogenatingvegetable oils. It is also used in ceramics, in the manufactureof Alnico magnets, and in batteries. The sulfate and the oxides are important compounds. Natural nickel is a mixtureof five stable isotopes; twenty-five other unstable isotopes areknown. Nickel sulfide fume and dust, as well as other nickelcompounds, are carcinogens. Nickel metal (99.9%) is priced atabout $2/g or less in larger quantities. |
| Uses | Nickel-plating; for various alloys such as new silver, Chinese silver, German silver; for coins, electrotypes, storage batteries; magnets, lightning-rod tips, electrical contacts and electrodes, spark plugs, machinery parts; catalyst for hydrogenation of oils and other organic substances. See also Raney nickel. manufacture of Monel metal, stainless steels, heat resistant steels, heat and corrosion resistant alloys, nickel-chrome resistance wire; in alloys for electronic and space applications. |
| Uses | Nickel is used in various alloys, such asGerman silver, Monel, and nickel–chrome;for coins; in storage batteries; in spark plugs;and as a hydrogenation catalyst. |
| Uses | The most common use of nickel is as an alloy metal with iron and steel to make stainlesssteel, which contains from 5% to 15% nickel. The higher the percentage of nickel in stainlesssteel, the greater the steel’s resistance to corrosion—particularly when exposed to seawater.Nickel is also alloyed with copper to make Monel metal, which was widely used before stainless steel became more economical and practical. It was used for many purposes as varied ashousehold appliances and general manufacturing. Nickel is also used to electroplate othermetals to provide a noncorrosive protective and attractive finish. |
| Production Methods | Nickel is obtained by processing sulfide and laterite oreconcentrates using pyrometallurgic and hydrometallurgicprocesses. The resultant nickel matte obtained by roastingand smelting is subjected to further cleaning by electro-,vapo-, and hydrometallurgic refining methods. Some portionof the matte is roasted to obtain commercial nickel oxideagglomerate. Pure, 99.9% nickel can be obtained by electrolyticrefining process. The most pure, 99.97%, nickel is obtained by vapometallurgy.In this process, known also as the Mond method,nickel and copper sulfide blend is converted to oxides andthen reduced by heating with water gas at 350–400°C. Theresultant active form of nickel is treated with carbon monoxideto give volatile nickel carbonyl [Ni(CO)4]. The latterreaction is reversible; heating results in pure nickel andcarbon monoxide. |
| Preparation | The carbonyl process is most commonly employed when very pure nickel is required.The impure metal is reacted with pure carbon monoxide at 50° and the carbonyl producedfractionated several times prior to pyrolysis at around 200°. The nickel thus obtainedhas a purity of 99.90-99.99% depending upon the materials used. Electrolytic methods for producing high purity nickel depend upon the production of high purity nickel salts. The nickel obtained by the electrolysis of pure nickel chloride solution with inert platinum-iridium anodes is 99.99% pure. |
| Definition | A transition metal that occursnaturally as the sulfide and silicate. Itis extracted by the Mond process, which involvesreduction of nickel oxide using carbonmonoxide followed by the formationand subsequent decomposition of volatilenickel carbonyl. Nickel is used as a catalystin the hydrogenation of alkenes, e.g. margarinemanufacture, and in coinage alloys.Its main oxidation state is +2 and thesecompounds are usually green.Symbol: Ni; m.p. 1453°C; b.p. 2732°C;r.d. 8.902 (25°C); p.n. 28; r.a.m. 58.6934. |
| Definition | nickel: Symbol Ni. A malleable ductilesilvery metallic transition element;a.n. 28; r.a.m. 58.70; r.d. 8.9;m.p. 1450°C; b.p. 2732°C. It is foundin the minerals pentlandite (NiS),pyrrhoite ((Fe,Ni)S), and garnierite((Ni,Mg)6(OH)6Si4O11.H2O). Nickel isalso present in certain iron meteorites(up to 20%). The metal isextracted by roasting the ore to givethe oxide, followed by reductionwith carbon monoxide and purificationby the Mond process. Alternativelyelectolysis is used. Nickel metalis used in special steels, in Invar, and,being ferromagnetic, in magnetic alloys,such as Mumetal. It is also aneffective catalyst, particularly for hydrogenation reactions (see also raneynickel). The main compounds areformed with nickel in the +2 oxidationstate; the +3 state also exists (e.g.the black oxide, Ni2O3). Nickel wasdiscovered by Axel Cronstedt(1722–65) in 1751. |
| Definition | ChEBI: Chemical element (nickel group element atom) with atomic number 28. |
| General Description | Nickel catalyst, is extremely fine powdered nickel. Nickel is grayish colored. Insoluble in water. Nickel catalyst is used to promote the chemical action in manufacturing synthetics and to process vegetable oil and petroleum. If exposed to air or moisture, Nickel may become hot enough to ignite. Nickel is insoluble in water and does not react with larger volumes of water. |
| Air & Water Reactions | Pyrophoric, Ignites spontaneously in the presence of air; during storage, H2 escapes with fire and explosion hazards; reacts violently with acids forming H2. [Handling Chemicals Safely 1980. p. 807]. |
| Reactivity Profile | Metals, such as METAL CATALYST, are reducing agents and tend to react with oxidizing agents. Their reactivity is strongly influenced by their state of subdivision: in bulk they often resist chemical combination; in powdered form they may react very rapidly. Thus, as a bulk metal Nickel is somewhat unreactive, but finely divided material may be pyrophoric. The metal reacts exothermically with compounds having active hydrogen atoms (such as acids and water) to form flammable hydrogen gas and caustic products. The reactions are less vigorous than the similar reactions of alkali metals, but the released heat can still ignite the released hydrogen. Materials in this group may react with azo/diazo compounds to form explosive products. These metals and the products of their corrosion by air and water can catalyze polymerization reactions in several classes of organic compounds; these polymerizations sometimes proceed rapidly or even explosively. Some metals in this group form explosive products with halogenated hydrocarbons. Can react explosively with oxidizing materials. |
| Hazard | Nickel dust and powder are flammable. Most nickel compounds, particularly the salts, aretoxic. NiSO4 is a known carcinogen. Although nickel is not easily absorbed in the digestive system, it can cause toxic reactionsand is a confirmed carcinogen in high concentration in the body. Nickel workers can receivesevere skin rashes and lung cancer from exposure to nickel dust and vapors. Nickel is stored in the brain, spinal cord, lungs, and heart. It can cause coughs, shortnessof breath, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and general weakness. |
| Health Hazard | Ingestion of nickel can cause hyperglycemia,depression of the central nervous system,myocardial weakness, and kidney damage.A subcutaneous lethal dose in rabbits isin the range 10 mg/kg. The oral toxicityof the metal, however, is very low. Skincontact can lead to dermatitis and “nickelitch,” a chronic eczema, caused by dermalhypersensitivity reactions. Nickel itch mayresult from wearing pierced earrings. Inhalationof metal dusts can produce irritation ofthe nose and respiratory tract. Nickel andsome of its compounds have been reportedto cause lung cancer in experimental animals.It may also induce cancer in nose,stomach, and possibly the kidney. The experimentaldata on the latter, are not fully confirmative.Nickel refinery flue dust, nickelsulfide (Ni3S2) , and nickeloxide (NiO) produced localizedtumors in experimental animals wheninjected intramuscularly. IARC has classifiednickel and its compounds as carcinogenicto humans (IARC 1990). Inhalation ofmetal dusts can produce lung and sinus cancersin humans, with a latent period of about25 years. Nickel is susceptible to cross human placentaand produce teratogenesis and embroytoxicity. In vitro study on lipid peroxidationindicated that nickel induced peroxidativedamage to placental membrane causing decreased placental viability, altered permeabilityand subsequent embroy toxicity (Chenand Lin 1998). In a latter study, Chen et al.(2003) evaluated nickel-induced oxidativestress and effects of antioxidants in humanlymphocytes. The levels of intracellular reactiveoxygen species, lipid peroxidation andhydroxyl radicals were examined for one hourfollowing acute treatment with Nicl2. Thestudy showed that glutathione, catalase andmannitol each provided protection against theoxidative stress induced by Ni. The efficacy of organic chelating ligandsin cleaning human skin contaminated withnickel has been investigated (Healy et al.1998). Commercial liquid soap added withL-histidine was found to be more effectivethan   |