Nickel Applications & Uses

Dr Kevin BradleyPresident, Nickel Institute

8th Annual China Nickel ConferenceShanghai

18‐19 May 2011

The Nickel Institute does not present forecasts or comments on nickel markets, prices or supply/demand. The Nickel Institute does promote the long term use of nickel to contribute to a sustainable future.

Nickel Applications & Uses

Some Questions

• How does Society benefit from using nickel today?

• How might Society benefit from using nickel in the future?

• What public policy & regulatory trends could influence its use in the future?

In answering these questions, we will see why nickel is special

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Nickel in use today

• In China, the first recorded use was in bronze knife coins, containing nickel, Zhou dynasty 1046-221 BC.

• Today, nickel-containing materials are used in buildings, water supply systems, food preparation, energy industry, chemical industry, transport industry, electronic components, medical equipment …..

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Nickel has a unique combination of properties

• High melting point, 1453ºC

• Adherent oxide film

• Resists alkalis

• Ductile

• Alloys readily - as solute and solvent

• Magnetic at room temperature

• Deposited by electroplating

• Catalytic

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Nickel - the versatile metal

• >60% used in stainless steel

• high-nickel corrosion- and heat-resisting alloys

• other alloys - strength, corrosion resistance, special physical and magnetic properties

• plating - decorative and engineering uses

• batteries

• chemicals

• catalysts

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Stainless steels

• Chromium is the essential element which makes stainless steels stainless.

• Today ~ 60% of the tonnage of stainless steel which is produced contains nickel

• What advantages does nickel give to stainless steels?

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Nickel and corrosion propagation

• Nickel reduces the corrosion propagation rate

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Charles

Nickel stabilises the austenitic structure

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Charles

= Ni% + 30 C% + 30 Cr% + 0.3 Mn% + 0.3 Cu%

Nickel gives strength and ductility

Note the work hardening and ductility of the austenitic grades.9Shanghai, 2011

Energy absorption - bus frame roll-over test

As a result of the work hardening and ductility of the austenitic grades.

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Centro Inox

Nickel and low temperature toughness

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Large Hadron Collider, CERN

The Nickel Advantage - Nickel in Stainless Steels

• Versatility• Reliability• Corrosion resistance• Hygienic• High quality of 18/8 and 18/10 grades• Formability• Weldability• Availability• Many finishes• Non-magnetic• Lasting value and high intrinsic value as scrap • Recyclability

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Examples of use of stainless steels

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Consider all the factors when selecting a material or grade

• There are many different grades of stainless steel. As with any other material choice, selecting the correct grades is a balance between many factors and requirements:– Corrosion resistance– Operating temperature– Strength - influences thickness & weight– Other mechanical properties– Fabrication and welding– Physical properties– Appearance– Tooling costs– Life cycle costs– Availability: confidence in suppliers– Familiarity– Recyclability, environmental impacts and benefits– Degree of comfort (risk, insurance)

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The Nickel Advantage - Nickel as an alloying element

• Tough low alloy steels• High strength maraging steels• Ductile and wear-resistant cast irons• Stainless steels• Corrosion resistant, high nickel alloys• Superalloys for gas turbines• Copper-nickel alloys for marine applications• Magnetic and controlled expansion alloys• Shape memory alloys• Nickel metal hydrides for hydrogen storage

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Corrosion resistant alloys

• Highly alloyed stainless steels• Nickel alloys with chromium, molybdenum and other elements• Oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical and power applications• Can be used as lining, cladding, weld overlay

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Superalloys

• Exceptional high temperature strength and corrosion resistance• Chemical plant• Gas turbines

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Increase in performance of superalloys with time

• Higher combustion temperature leads to greater efficiency

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Increase of aircraft fuel efficiency with time

Improved temperature capability of nickel superalloys contributed to this performance increase.

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Nickel-titanium superelastic alloys

• Self-expanding stents• Glasses frames• Earthquake protection in bridges

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The Nickel Advantage - Nickel plating

• An early application of nickel

• Electrolytic and chemical deposition• Provides lustre, uniformity and corrosion protection• Substrate for decorative coatings• Engineering coatings e.g. for wear resistance• Electroforming

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Nickel electroforming

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Electroforming reproduces fine detail:

• micro components• security holograms• CD and DVD moulds• printing screens (screen

printing dates from Song dynasty, 960-1279 AD)

The Nickel Advantage - Catalysts

• Make chemical reactions faster and more efficient

• Based on finely divided nickel and nickel compounds (high surface area)

• Man-made fibres, fertilisers, fats, detergents, oil refining

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Rechargeable batteries

• Continuing pressure to improve the energy density leads to new technologies

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The Nickel Advantage - Nickel metal hydride batteries

• Positive electrode is a highly porous nickel-felt into which nickel oxyhydroxide is pasted.

• Negative electrode is a perforated nickel plated steel foil coated with the hydrogen storage alloy LaNi5

• Portable electrical and electronic equipment

• Hybrid cars

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NiMH battery pack

Nickel - the future

• Nickel often enables:– innovative solutions– Durable and sustainable solutions

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One alloy, six innovations

• Invar™ low expansion alloy, 36%Ni-Fe

• Discovered by Guillaume in 1896, for which he received the Nobel prize

• First use for pendulums in high accuracy clocks

• Glass-sealing alloys for radio valves

• Lead-frames for semiconductor packaging

• Shadow masks for TV tubes

• Moulds for composite panels

• Liquid natural gas (LNG) tankers

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Innovations described in recent issues of Nickel

• Construction– Shape memory alloys for bridges

• Surface Treatment– Coating Nano-Powders with Nickel - many applications rely on fast, uniform

coatings– Illuminating wear with composite electroless nickel coatings

• Renewable and alternative energy– How nickel stainless steels are improving the prospects for solar energy– Nickel-containing materials selected for components of fusion test reactor– A Growing Opportunity for Nickel - renewed interest in solid oxide fuel cells in

Europe– Nickel alloys play an important role in biogas projects– Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries Power Hybrid Growth - demand for hybrid

vehicles in Europe could rise to 15% of sales by 2020– Expansion of the ethanol industry means higher demand for nickel-containing

stainless steel• Transport• How nickel contributes to more sustainable air transportation

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Durable and sustainable solutions

• Durability:– Reduces operating and maintenance costs– Increases value at end-of-life– Increases recyclability– Reduces life cycle costs

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Life Cycle Cost Example

• First stainless steel raw water pipe in India (Mettur dam, 1998)

• 300 mm x 3 mm grade 304 stainless steel replaced 900 mm x 13 mm cast iron

• Lightweight meant easy installation in hilly country

• >50 year life expected (2 replacements of cast iron in that time)

• Smooth and smaller bore meant sustained low pumping costs

• Very low maintenance costs

• LCC analysis: >60% saving over 50 years

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Energy use and carbon footprint through the whole life cycle

• Important to consider the whole life cycle

• Yes, more energy is needed to produce 1 kg of nickel compared with the production of 1 kg of other metals

• BUT for a civil aircraft, > 95% of the energy involved in its whole life is during use. That is where nickel helps to make a huge contribution to reducing the total energy used.

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Towards sustainable buildings

• Examples from railway stations, airports and convention centres

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Nickel contributes to renewable energy production

• Renewable energy is increasing in importance– reducing dependence on fossil fuels– reducing net greenhouse gas emissions

• Growth opportunities for nickel-containing materials in:– Biofuel production– Wind energy– Wave energy– Tidal energy– Geothermal energy– Solar energy

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The fly in the ointment

• With all of the existing and developing applications and benefits, what could curb or limit nickel use?

• Answer: • Hazard-based public & private specification and procurement policies

• Public policy and regulatory trends especially in the EU are defining regulatory outcomes increasingly focused on hazard properties rather than risk/release

– Eco-label Directive (no CMRs)– Toys Directive (no CMRs)– REACH Regulation, in particular authorisation (hazard-based approach focused

on substitution)• There is a global trend in terms of privatisation of regulation driven by civil society and

embraced by major specifiers in the value chains, usually end consumers, product manufactures or retailers

• Nickel compound hazard classifications and even some nickel metal classifications are impacted by this

• Currently the effects are not significant – but if the approach in the EU is adopted in other global regions, then its impact on nickel use by some sectors will be significant

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Nickel in Society - Lasting Value, Innovative Solutions

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www.ni-china.org

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