Nickel, nickel everywhere

MANILA, Philippines - Spurred by strong global demand, nickel is quickly emerging as one of the world’s truly precious metals in the 21st century — at times holding its own against gold or silver. While the latter two may have more luster, nickel’s intrinsic value shines more in terms of the sheer number of its practical commercial and industrial applications.

Just how pervasive is this unsung metal and oft-overlooked element? It’s virtually everywhere. You don’t even have to leave your seat to realize that nickel is practically within arm’s length — cleverly melded into today’s niftiest hi-tech contraptions.

Take everyone’s perennial mobile companions, for instance. What would our cell phones be without nickel, or our laptops, for that matter? Nickel’s magnetic properties make it an indispensable component in telecommunications equipment and computer hard drives.

What would our households, buildings and other architectural structures be without stainless steel? Not many know it, but nickel is usually added to this very important metal alloy, rendering it virtually indestructible with its added toughness, strength, corrosion resistance and ability to withstand extreme temperatures.

It’s indeed heartening to realize that nickel can be found in virtually everything we touch, from the moment we wake up to the time we go back to bed at the end of the day — from the alarm clock to the spoons and forks we eat breakfast with; the bathroom fixtures and door handles we twist and turn; the keys we start our cars with; the coins we put in our pockets; the PCs we turn on at the office; the fixtures in our favorite coffee place; and even our favorite entertainment gadgets (our radios, big-screen TVs, CD players, iPads, iPods, pianos, guitars and even guitar strings) are laden with nickel.

On a larger scale, nickel is also indispensable in industrial equipment, such as semiconductors, medical equipment, pre-fabricated steel rods, aerospace equipment, oil and gas exploration and other areas of scientific exploration.

Aside from its integral role in forming alloys, nickel also has several non-alloy applications, such as nickel-plating and chemical applications, particularly nickel-containing batteries and nickel-based catalysts.

Environmentalists would be glad to know that nickel is one of the most recycled materials in today’s global economy, ensuring practically no post-consumer waste for all end-of-life nickel products, unlike others that leave huge traces of toxic and hazardous materials.

Mobile companions: Nickel’s magnetic properties make it an indispensable component in cell phones and laptops.

In the oil and gas production industries, the use of nickel-containing stainless steels and nickel alloys have delivered promising results in the area of environmental sustainability, particularly in the areas of corrosion resistance and toughness. Compared to plain carbon steel, the use of nickel in pipes, tubes and other oil production machinery minimizes the risk of unwanted hydrocarbon emissions into the environment by preventing leaks.

Not surprisingly, the Philippines has been blessed with an abundance of nickel ores. Considering that concentrated nickel is scattered rather haphazardly over relatively small areas of the globe, our country is privileged to share such a prime resource alongside such countries as Australia, Brazil, China, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Greece, South Africa and Russia.