Nickel
Element 28 · chemical symbol: Ni
These Vrulum profiles mention Nickel by name. Read each profile for its specific context; a mention alone does not establish composition, performance or use of the pure element.
For periodic-table data and other properties, consult the Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table.
Related technology profiles
Elastocaloric cooling
Elastocaloric cooling uses mechanical stress to make a shape-memory material warm and cool as its crystal structure changes. Laboratory systems have produced continuous cold air, kilowatt-scale cooling at zero temperature lift, and a small heat-driven device. The results are promising engineering demonstrations, but efficiency, fatigue life, system cost and performance under useful operating conditions remain open questions.
Lithium-ion batteries
Lithium-ion batteries store and release electricity by moving lithium ions between two electrodes, and they power electric cars. Their cost and energy density keep changing, but fire risk, dependence on nickel-containing chemistries and recycling that is still developing remains an open limit.
Self-healing polymers
Self-healing polymers are plastics, rubbers and composites that can repair cracks or cuts, either on their own or with a trigger such as heat. Laboratory work since 2001 has shown partial to full recovery of strength in several material families. Bacteria-based concrete has reached full-scale pilots, but most systems remain at the research and prototype stage.
Sodium-ion batteries
Sodium-ion batteries store energy by shuttling sodium ions between two electrodes, much as lithium-ion batteries do with lithium. They use abundant materials and manufacturers now claim early mass production, but they still store less energy per kilogram than the best lithium-ion cells.