Looking at the Importance of Nickel in Stainless Steel
The growth of economies across the globe causes a significant increased demand for stainless steel and the nickel manufacturing company. Stainless steel is a widely used material, particularly in developing economies, and nickel metal being an important component in the production of stainless steel is therefore seeing a similar increasing demand. More than two thirds of global nickel metal production is used to produce stainless steel. The role of nickel as an alloying element enhances its important properties; the effect of nickel in steel such as formability, weldability and ductility, while increasing corrosion resistance in certain applications, has made it an invaluable resource for contemporary industrial and commercial applications.
Stainless steel has been in use for over a hundred years. Harry Beardly is credited with its discovery and development in 1913 when he added 12.8% Chromium to molten steel. “Stainless Steel” itself comprises a wide range of iron-based alloys, but unlike conventional steel they are resistant to corrosion and do not rust when exposed to water alone. The alloying element that makes steel ‘stainless’ is chromium; however it is the addition of nickel metal that enables stainless steel to become such a versatile alloy.
In addition to nickel alloys’ inherent corrosion resistance, nickel-containing stainless steels are easy to form and weld; they remain ductile at very low temperatures but can be used for high-temperature applications. In addition, compared to conventional steel and stainless steels that do not contain nickel, the effect of nickel in steel makes them non-magnetic. This means they can be made into an very wide range of products, and in uses and applications for the chemical industry, the health sector and even domestic uses. In fact, the importance of nickel in stainless steel means that nickel-containing grades make up 75% of stainless steel production. The best-known of these are Type 304, which has 8% nickel and Type 316, which has 11%.
Over the last 100 years, approximately 100 different grades of stainless steel have been discovered and made commercially available for different uses, and not all of these grades are nickel alloys. On these 100 grades, there are four main family groups: martenistic, ferritic, austentic, and duplex. Generally Ferritic and martensitic stainless steels are magnetic while austenitic stainless steels are non-magnetic due to their nickel metal content. Duplex stainless steels (also known as Ferritic-Austentic) have a higher Chromium and lower compared to austentic grades; these are used extensively in the petrochemical industry.
The effect of nickel in steel provides these properties by changing the crystal structure of steel to an austenitic (face-centred cubic crystal) structure. Conventional steel has a ferritic (body-centred cubic crystal) structure at ambient temperature. It is the role of nickel, added in sufficient quantities - usually 8-10% - that imparts these unique properties.
Nickel metal based stainless steel has good ductility and formability. The very common Type 304 (18% chromium/ 8% nickel) has very good stretch-forming characteristics. This characteristic has led it to be widely used in applications such as kitchen sinks and cooking pots.
Nickel alloys are better for welding than most other alloys; they are not prone to becoming brittle from the high temperatures of welding, and the welds have excellent bend and impact properties. The effect of nickel in steel also brings about a high degree of toughness. While most stainless steel is suitable for use at room temperature, the role of nickel in Type 304 stainless steel is in retaining its high degree of toughness even at extremely low temperatures such as different cryogenic applications.
On the opposite end of the temperature spectrum, adding nickel metal to stainless steel greatly increases its ability to resist high temperatures. These nickel alloys are preferred for high-temperature applications and where fire resistance is needed.
Stainless steel is also 100% recyclable and does not degrade when reprocessed, thus allowing for multiple life cycles of the nickel alloys. The sustainability of stainless steel is unmatched compared to other metals. With the growing awareness on the importance of reducing carbon emissions, many countries are heavily promoting stainless steel which is resistant to corrosion and has prolonged service life, therefore not requiring frequent replacements and repairs. This, in turn, lessens the environmental impact of stainless steels containing nickel metal by reducing both the need for virgin materials and the energy required by a nickel manufacturing company to produce it.
Lastly, nickel metal based stainless steel is easy to produce. Decades-long experience of manufacturing the common nickel alloy metals, their widespread use, their versatility in numerous applications, and the scale of their production have allowed stainless steel to become widely and economically available in all shapes and quantities and in all parts of the world.
The importance of nickel in stainless steel cannot be underestimated. While the effect of nickel in steel makes it a more versatile and durable which drives global demand, it is the same role of nickel that places a responsibility on a nickel manufacturing company such as Hallmark Mining, to maintain a high production level. A commitment to provide the nickel metal the world needs to keep our steel stainless.
Sources: General Kinematics, The Nickel Institute, Azo Materials