92-504: Bulong Nickel Mine was a surface nickel and cobalt mine near Bulong , Western Australia , 40 kilometres (25 mi) east of Kalgoorlie , adjacent to Lake Yindarlgooda. The mine operated for only four years and was a financial failure. Despite its short operation period, it left a legacy of environmental pollution. Because of impurities in the ore, the mine used up to 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of sulphuric acid per tonne of ore to remove those. The area around Bulong originally
184-489: A half-life of 717,000 years. Excessive quantities of stable Mg have been observed in the Ca-Al-rich inclusions of some carbonaceous chondrite meteorites . This anomalous abundance is attributed to the decay of its parent Al in the inclusions, and researchers conclude that such meteorites were formed in the solar nebula before the Al had decayed. These are among
276-490: A magnesium-based engine . Magnesium also reacts exothermically with most acids such as hydrochloric acid (HCl), producing magnesium chloride and hydrogen gas, similar to the HCl reaction with aluminium, zinc, and many other metals. Although it is difficult to ignite in mass or bulk, magnesium metal will ignite. Magnesium may also be used as an igniter for thermite , a mixture of aluminium and iron oxide powder that ignites only at
368-484: A matte for further refining. Hydrometallurgical techniques are also used. Most sulfide deposits have traditionally been processed by concentration through a froth flotation process followed by pyrometallurgical extraction. The nickel matte is further processed with the Sherritt-Gordon process . First, copper is removed by adding hydrogen sulfide , leaving a concentrate of cobalt and nickel. Then, solvent extraction
460-552: A passivation layer of nickel oxide forms on the surface that prevents further corrosion. Even so, pure native nickel is found in Earth's crust only in tiny amounts, usually in ultramafic rocks , and in the interiors of larger nickel–iron meteorites that were not exposed to oxygen when outside Earth's atmosphere. Meteoric nickel is found in combination with iron , a reflection of the origin of those elements as major end products of supernova nucleosynthesis . An iron–nickel mixture
552-419: A A$ 10 million penalty should the deal not go ahead, despite having only A$ 2 million in funds available. While Resolute Resources faced the same penalty should their board reject the sale, it had A$ 64 million available, leaving Preston Resources in the weaker position in the transaction. Preston envisioned the cost to develop the mine to be A$ 320 million, which was to be raised through debt and equity raising, but
644-479: A common reservoir. Magnesium is the eighth-most-abundant element in the Earth's crust by mass and tied in seventh place with iron in molarity . It is found in large deposits of magnesite , dolomite , and other minerals , and in mineral waters, where magnesium ion is soluble. Although magnesium is found in more than 60 minerals , only dolomite , magnesite , brucite , carnallite , talc , and olivine are of commercial importance. The Mg cation
736-399: A compound, nickel has a number of niche chemical manufacturing uses, such as a catalyst for hydrogenation , cathodes for rechargeable batteries, pigments and metal surface treatments. Nickel is an essential nutrient for some microorganisms and plants that have enzymes with nickel as an active site . Nickel is a silvery-white metal with a slight golden tinge that takes a high polish. It
828-547: A cost of A$ 450,000. Resolute transferred a further 15 percent of the project to Energy Oil and Gas Ltd in 1992–93. In early 1994, WMC withdrew from the joint-venture again, after assessing the cost and the risks involved. When commenting on the laying of the foundation stone of the project in August 1997, then-Resources Development Minister Colin Barnett praised the project and its owner, Resolute Resources, and stated that it "the project
920-506: A high purity product is easily achievable. China is almost completely reliant on the silicothermic Pidgeon process . Besides the Pigeon process, the second most used process for magnesium production is electrolysis . This is a two step process. The first step is to prepare feedstock containing magnesium chloride and the second step is to dissociate the compound in electrolytic cells as magnesium metal and chlorine gas . The basic reaction
1012-450: A mining rehabilitation fund, which was only accessible once it reached a sum of A$ 500 million. In 2016, this was estimated to be 20 years away and therefore not able to cover the estimated state-wide cost of A$ 60 million to rehabilitate mines like Bulong. Because of local concern over the state of the abandoned tailings storage facility and evaporation ponds, the mining lease having expired in 2013, and its impact on near-by Lake Yindarlgooda,
SECTION 10
#17329018550881104-448: A number of name changes, became Pantoro Limited in 2015. One of the key reasons for the mine's failure was that the process plant of the mine was designed to extract nickel through a pressure acid leach process, developed in Cuba in the 1950s, which turned out to be unsuitable for Western Australian conditions. Addition of sulphuric acid was required to make the process work, to a degree that
1196-702: A public controversy regarding the problems of people with nickel allergy . An estimated 3.6 million tonnes (t) of nickel per year are mined worldwide; Indonesia (1,800,000 t), the Philippines (400,000 t), Russia (200,000 t), New Caledonia ( France ) (230,000 t), Canada (180,000 t) and Australia (160,000 t) are the largest producers as of 2023. The largest nickel deposits in non-Russian Europe are in Finland and Greece . Identified land-based sources averaging at least 1% nickel contain at least 130 million tonnes of nickel. About 60%
1288-429: A solid solution with calcium oxide by calcining the mineral dolomite , which is a solid solution of calcium and magnesium carbonates: Reduction occurs at high temperatures with silicon. A ferrosilicon alloy is used rather than pure silicon as it is more economical. The iron component has no bearing on the reaction, having the simplified equation: The calcium oxide combines with silicon as the oxygen scavenger, yielding
1380-545: A variety of compounds important to industry and biology, including magnesium carbonate , magnesium chloride , magnesium citrate , magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia), magnesium oxide , magnesium sulfate , and magnesium sulfate heptahydrate ( Epsom salts ). As recently as 2020, magnesium hydride was under investigation as a way to store hydrogen. Magnesium has three stable isotopes : Mg , Mg and Mg . All are present in significant amounts in nature (see table of isotopes above). About 79% of Mg
1472-408: A very high temperature. Organomagnesium compounds are widespread in organic chemistry . They are commonly found as Grignard reagents , formed by reaction of magnesium with haloalkanes . Examples of Grignard reagents are phenylmagnesium bromide and ethylmagnesium bromide . The Grignard reagents function as a common nucleophile , attacking the electrophilic group such as the carbon atom that
1564-438: Is Mg . The isotope Mg is radioactive and in the 1950s to 1970s was produced by several nuclear power plants for use in scientific experiments. This isotope has a relatively short half-life (21 hours) and its use was limited by shipping times. The nuclide Mg has found application in isotopic geology , similar to that of aluminium. Mg is a radiogenic daughter product of Al , which has
1656-497: Is Ni with 28 protons and 50 neutrons. Both are therefore unusually stable for nuclei with so large a proton–neutron imbalance . Nickel-63 is a contaminant found in the support structure of nuclear reactors. It is produced through neutron capture by nickel-62. Small amounts have also been found near nuclear weapon test sites in the South Pacific. Nickel ores are classified as oxides or sulfides. Oxides include laterite , where
1748-411: Is $ 0.045 (90% of the face value). In the 21st century, the high price of nickel has led to some replacement of the metal in coins around the world. Coins still made with nickel alloys include one- and two- euro coins , 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, and $ 1 U.S. coins , and 20p, 50p, £1, and £2 UK coins . From 2012 on the nickel-alloy used for 5p and 10p UK coins was replaced with nickel-plated steel. This ignited
1840-417: Is a 3d 4s energy level, specifically the 3d ( F) 4s F, J = 4 level. However, each of these two configurations splits into several energy levels due to fine structure , and the two sets of energy levels overlap. The average energy of states with [Ar] 3d 4s is actually lower than the average energy of states with [Ar] 3d 4s . Therefore, the research literature on atomic calculations quotes
1932-658: Is a gray-white lightweight metal, two-thirds the density of aluminium. Magnesium has the lowest melting (923 K (650 °C)) and the lowest boiling point (1,363 K (1,090 °C)) of all the alkaline earth metals. Pure polycrystalline magnesium is brittle and easily fractures along shear bands . It becomes much more malleable when alloyed with small amounts of other metals, such as 1% aluminium. The malleability of polycrystalline magnesium can also be significantly improved by reducing its grain size to about 1 μm or less. When finely powdered, magnesium reacts with water to produce hydrogen gas: However, this reaction
SECTION 20
#17329018550882024-480: Is a liquid metal. At the YSZ/liquid metal anode O is oxidized. A layer of graphite borders the liquid metal anode, and at this interface carbon and oxygen react to form carbon monoxide. When silver is used as the liquid metal anode, there is no reductant carbon or hydrogen needed, and only oxygen gas is evolved at the anode. It was reported in 2011 that this method provides a 40% reduction in cost per pound over
2116-714: Is a new nickel mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula . Construction was completed in 2013, and operations began in the third quarter of 2014. In the first full year of operation, the Eagle Mine produced 18,000 t. Nickel is obtained through extractive metallurgy : it is extracted from ore by conventional roasting and reduction processes that yield metal of greater than 75% purity. In many stainless steel applications, 75% pure nickel can be used without further purification, depending on impurities. Traditionally, most sulfide ores are processed using pyrometallurgical techniques to produce
2208-497: Is a volatile, highly toxic liquid at room temperature. On heating, the complex decomposes back to nickel and carbon monoxide: This behavior is exploited in the Mond process for purifying nickel, as described above. The related nickel(0) complex bis(cyclooctadiene)nickel(0) is a useful catalyst in organonickel chemistry because the cyclooctadiene (or cod ) ligands are easily displaced. Nickel(I) complexes are uncommon, but one example
2300-425: Is also formed in nickel distillation as a by-product, but it decomposes to tetracobalt dodecacarbonyl at the reaction temperature to give a non-volatile solid. Magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element ; it has symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of
2392-582: Is as follows: The temperatures at which this reaction is operated is between 680 and 750 °C. The magnesium chloride can be obtained using the Dow process , a process that mixes sea water and dolomite in a flocculator or by dehydration of magnesium chloride brines. The electrolytic cells are partially submerged in a molten salt electrolyte to which the produced magnesium chloride is added in concentrations between 6-18%. This process does have its share of disadvantages including production of harmful chlorine gas and
2484-667: Is currently being set in place by the International Seabed Authority to ensure that these nodules are collected in an environmentally conscientious manner while adhering to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals . The one place in the United States where nickel has been profitably mined is Riddle, Oregon , with several square miles of nickel-bearing garnierite surface deposits. The mine closed in 1987. The Eagle mine project
2576-425: Is essential to all cells and some 300 enzymes . Magnesium ions interact with polyphosphate compounds such as ATP , DNA , and RNA . Hundreds of enzymes require magnesium ions to function. Magnesium compounds are used medicinally as common laxatives and antacids (such as milk of magnesia ), and to stabilize abnormal nerve excitation or blood vessel spasm in such conditions as eclampsia . Elemental magnesium
2668-479: Is first treated with lime (calcium oxide) and the precipitated magnesium hydroxide is collected: The hydroxide is then converted to magnesium chloride by treatment with hydrochloric acid and heating of the product to eliminate water: The salt is then electrolyzed in the molten state. At the cathode , the Mg ion is reduced by two electrons to magnesium metal: At the anode , each pair of Cl ions
2760-470: Is greater than both Fe and Fe , more abundant nuclides often incorrectly cited as having the highest binding energy. Though this would seem to predict nickel as the most abundant heavy element in the universe, the high rate of photodisintegration of nickel in stellar interiors causes iron to be by far the most abundant. Nickel-60 is the daughter product of the extinct radionuclide Fe (half-life 2.6 million years). Due to
2852-558: Is in laterites and 40% is in sulfide deposits. Also, extensive nickel sources are found in the depths of the Pacific Ocean , especially in an area called the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the form of polymetallic nodules peppering the seafloor at 3.5–6 km below sea level . These nodules are composed of numerous rare-earth metals and are estimated to be 1.7% nickel. With advances in science and engineering , regulation
Bulong Nickel Mine - Misplaced Pages Continue
2944-426: Is less dense than aluminium and is used primarily as a component in strong and lightweight alloys that contain aluminium. In the cosmos , magnesium is produced in large, aging stars by the sequential addition of three helium nuclei to a carbon nucleus. When such stars explode as supernovas , much of the magnesium is expelled into the interstellar medium where it may recycle into new star systems. Magnesium
3036-441: Is much less dramatic than the reactions of the alkali metals with water, because the magnesium hydroxide builds up on the surface of the magnesium metal and inhibits further reaction. The principal property of magnesium metal is its reducing power. One hint is that it tarnishes slightly when exposed to air, although, unlike the heavier alkaline earth metals , an oxygen-free environment is unnecessary for storage because magnesium
3128-455: Is now Syria have been found to contain as much as 2% nickel. Some ancient Chinese manuscripts suggest that "white copper" ( cupronickel , known as baitong ) was used there in 1700–1400 BCE. This Paktong white copper was exported to Britain as early as the 17th century, but the nickel content of this alloy was not discovered until 1822. Coins of nickel-copper alloy were minted by Bactrian kings Agathocles , Euthydemus II , and Pantaleon in
3220-434: Is now known as the mineral nickeline (formerly niccolite ), a nickel arsenide . In 1751, Baron Axel Fredrik Cronstedt tried to extract copper from kupfernickel at a cobalt mine in the village of Los, Sweden , and instead produced a white metal that he named nickel after the spirit that had given its name to the mineral. In modern German, Kupfernickel or Kupfer-Nickel designates the alloy cupronickel . Originally,
3312-412: Is one of only four elements that are ferromagnetic at or near room temperature; the others are iron, cobalt and gadolinium . Its Curie temperature is 355 °C (671 °F), meaning that bulk nickel is non-magnetic above this temperature. The unit cell of nickel is a face-centered cube ; it has lattice parameter of 0.352 nm, giving an atomic radius of 0.124 nm. This crystal structure
3404-401: Is oxidized to chlorine gas, releasing two electrons to complete the circuit: The carbothermic route to magnesium has been recognized as a low energy, yet high productivity path to magnesium extraction. The chemistry is as follows: C + MgO → CO + Mg A disadvantage of this method is that slow cooling the vapour can cause the reaction to quickly revert. To prevent this from happening,
3496-514: Is present within the polar bond of a carbonyl group. A prominent organomagnesium reagent beyond Grignard reagents is magnesium anthracene , which is used as a source of highly active magnesium. The related butadiene -magnesium adduct serves as a source for the butadiene dianion. Complexes of dimagnesium(I) have been observed. The presence of magnesium ions can be detected by the addition of ammonium chloride , ammonium hydroxide and monosodium phosphate to an aqueous or dilute HCl solution of
3588-469: Is produced by the silicon burning process and later set free in large amounts in type Ia supernovae . The shape of the light curve of these supernovae at intermediate to late-times corresponds to the decay via electron capture of Ni to cobalt -56 and ultimately to iron-56. Nickel-59 is a long-lived cosmogenic radionuclide ; half-life 76,000 years. Ni has found many applications in isotope geology . Ni has been used to date
3680-447: Is protected by a thin layer of oxide that is fairly impermeable and difficult to remove. Direct reaction of magnesium with air or oxygen at ambient pressure forms only the "normal" oxide MgO. However, this oxide may be combined with hydrogen peroxide to form magnesium peroxide , MgO 2 , and at low temperature the peroxide may be further reacted with ozone to form magnesium superoxide Mg(O 2 ) 2 . Magnesium reacts with nitrogen in
3772-569: Is stable to pressures of at least 70 GPa. Nickel is hard, malleable and ductile , and has a relatively high electrical and thermal conductivity for transition metals. The high compressive strength of 34 GPa, predicted for ideal crystals, is never obtained in the real bulk material due to formation and movement of dislocations . However, it has been reached in Ni nanoparticles . Nickel has two atomic electron configurations , [Ar] 3d 4s and [Ar] 3d 4s , which are very close in energy; [Ar] denotes
Bulong Nickel Mine - Misplaced Pages Continue
3864-454: Is the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and the fourth most common element in the Earth (after iron , oxygen and silicon ), making up 13% of the planet's mass and a large fraction of the planet's mantle . It is the third most abundant element dissolved in seawater, after sodium and chlorine . This element is the eleventh most abundant element by mass in the human body and
3956-541: Is the second-most-abundant cation in seawater (about 1 ⁄ 8 the mass of sodium ions in a given sample), which makes seawater and sea salt attractive commercial sources for Mg. To extract the magnesium, calcium hydroxide is added to the seawater to precipitate magnesium hydroxide . Magnesium hydroxide ( brucite ) is poorly soluble in water and can be collected by filtration. It reacts with hydrochloric acid to magnesium chloride . From magnesium chloride, electrolysis produces magnesium. World production
4048-446: Is the tetrahedral complex NiBr(PPh 3 ) 3 . Many nickel(I) complexes have Ni–Ni bonding, such as the dark red diamagnetic K 4 [Ni 2 (CN) 6 ] prepared by reduction of K 2 [Ni 2 (CN) 6 ] with sodium amalgam . This compound is oxidized in water, liberating H 2 . It is thought that the nickel(I) oxidation state is important to nickel-containing enzymes, such as [NiFe]-hydrogenase , which catalyzes
4140-631: Is thought to compose Earth's outer and inner cores . Use of nickel (as natural meteoric nickel–iron alloy) has been traced as far back as 3500 BCE. Nickel was first isolated and classified as an element in 1751 by Axel Fredrik Cronstedt , who initially mistook the ore for a copper mineral , in the cobalt mines of Los, Hälsingland, Sweden . The element's name comes from a mischievous sprite of German miner mythology, Nickel (similar to Old Nick ). Nickel minerals can be green, like copper ores, and were known as kupfernickel – Nickel's copper – because they produced no copper. Although most nickel in
4232-475: Is used as the cathode in many rechargeable batteries , including nickel–cadmium , nickel–iron , nickel–hydrogen , and nickel–metal hydride , and used by certain manufacturers in Li-ion batteries . Ni(IV) remains a rare oxidation state and very few compounds are known. Ni(IV) occurs in the mixed oxide BaNiO 3 . Unintentional use of nickel can be traced back as far as 3500 BCE. Bronzes from what
4324-455: Is used chiefly in alloys and corrosion-resistant plating. About 68% of world production is used in stainless steel . A further 10% is used for nickel-based and copper-based alloys, 9% for plating, 7% for alloy steels, 3% in foundries, and 4% in other applications such as in rechargeable batteries, including those in electric vehicles (EVs). Nickel is widely used in coins , though nickel-plated objects sometimes provoke nickel allergy . As
4416-412: Is used to separate the cobalt and nickel, with the final nickel content greater than 86%. A second common refining process is leaching the metal matte into a nickel salt solution, followed by electrowinning the nickel from solution by plating it onto a cathode as electrolytic nickel. The purest metal is obtained from nickel oxide by the Mond process , which gives a purity of over 99.99%. The process
4508-467: The arsenide niccolite . Identified land-based resources throughout the world averaging 1% nickel or greater comprise at least 130 million tons of nickel (about the double of known reserves). About 60% is in laterites and 40% in sulfide deposits. On geophysical evidence, most of the nickel on Earth is believed to be in Earth's outer and inner cores . Kamacite and taenite are naturally occurring alloys of iron and nickel. For kamacite,
4600-484: The metal aquo complex [Ni(H 2 O) 6 ] . The four halides form nickel compounds, which are solids with molecules with octahedral Ni centres. Nickel(II) chloride is most common, and its behavior is illustrative of the other halides. Nickel(II) chloride is made by dissolving nickel or its oxide in hydrochloric acid . It is usually found as the green hexahydrate, whose formula is usually written NiCl 2 ·6H 2 O . When dissolved in water, this salt forms
4692-479: The metal aquo complex [Ni(H 2 O) 6 ] . Dehydration of NiCl 2 ·6H 2 O gives yellow anhydrous NiCl 2 . Some tetracoordinate nickel(II) complexes, e.g. bis(triphenylphosphine)nickel chloride , exist both in tetrahedral and square planar geometries. The tetrahedral complexes are paramagnetic ; the square planar complexes are diamagnetic . In having properties of magnetic equilibrium and formation of octahedral complexes, they contrast with
SECTION 50
#17329018550884784-407: The periodic table ) it occurs naturally only in combination with other elements and almost always has an oxidation state of +2. It reacts readily with air to form a thin passivation coating of magnesium oxide that inhibits further corrosion of the metal. The free metal burns with a brilliant-white light. The metal is obtained mainly by electrolysis of magnesium salts obtained from brine . It
4876-531: The 2nd century BCE, possibly out of the Chinese cupronickel. In medieval Germany, a metallic yellow mineral was found in the Ore Mountains that resembled copper ore. But when miners were unable to get any copper from it, they blamed a mischievous sprite of German mythology, Nickel (similar to Old Nick ), for besetting the copper. They called this ore Kupfernickel from German Kupfer 'copper'. This ore
4968-521: The Cawse mine. Clean-up of the mining legacy at Bulong was reported in April 2016 to cost as much as A$ 6.8 million. At this point, A$ 6 million in clean-up cost had already been accumulated by the mine. A A$ 1.12 million bond had been collected from the former owners of the mine, which proved insufficient to cover the cost. Introduced in 2013, mining companies were required to pay around one percent of their profits into
5060-498: The United States, the term "nickel" or "nick" originally applied to the copper-nickel Flying Eagle cent , which replaced copper with 12% nickel 1857–58, then the Indian Head cent of the same alloy from 1859 to 1864. Still later, in 1865, the term designated the three-cent nickel , with nickel increased to 25%. In 1866, the five-cent shield nickel (25% nickel, 75% copper) appropriated the designation, which has been used ever since for
5152-565: The Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety commissioned an investigation which resulted in a 900-page report published in 2021. Nickel Nickel is a chemical element ; it has symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal . Pure nickel is chemically reactive, but large pieces are slow to react with air under standard conditions because
5244-497: The alloy is usually in the proportion of 90:10 to 95:5, though impurities (such as cobalt or carbon ) may be present. Taenite is 20% to 65% nickel. Kamacite and taenite are also found in nickel iron meteorites . Nickel is commonly found in iron meteorites as the alloys kamacite and taenite . Nickel in meteorites was first detected in 1799 by Joseph-Louis Proust , a French chemist who then worked in Spain. Proust analyzed samples of
5336-464: The complete argon core structure. There is some disagreement on which configuration has the lower energy. Chemistry textbooks quote nickel's electron configuration as [Ar] 4s 3d , also written [Ar] 3d 4s . This configuration agrees with the Madelung energy ordering rule , which predicts that 4s is filled before 3d. It is supported by the experimental fact that the lowest energy state of the nickel atom
5428-573: The corrosion rate of magnesium in a salt solution by a factor of nearly ten. Magnesium's tendency to creep (gradually deform) at high temperatures is greatly reduced by alloying with zinc and rare-earth elements . Flammability is significantly reduced by a small amount of calcium in the alloy. By using rare-earth elements, it may be possible to manufacture magnesium alloys that are able to not catch fire at higher temperatures compared to magnesium's liquidus and in some cases potentially pushing it close to magnesium's boiling point. Magnesium forms
5520-484: The divalent complexes of the heavier group 10 metals, palladium(II) and platinum(II), which form only square-planar geometry. Nickelocene has an electron count of 20. Many chemical reactions of nickelocene tend to yield 18-electron products. Many Ni(III) compounds are known. Ni(III) forms simple salts with fluoride or oxide ions. Ni(III) can be stabilized by σ-donor ligands such as thiols and organophosphines . Ni(III) occurs in nickel oxide hydroxide , which
5612-691: The earth's crust exists as oxides, economically more important nickel ores are sulfides, especially pentlandite . Major production sites include the Sudbury region , Canada (which is thought to be of meteoric origin), New Caledonia in the Pacific , Western Australia , and Norilsk , Russia. Nickel is one of four elements (the others are iron , cobalt , and gadolinium ) that are ferromagnetic at about room temperature. Alnico permanent magnets based partly on nickel are of intermediate strength between iron-based permanent magnets and rare-earth magnets . The metal
SECTION 60
#17329018550885704-479: The ground state configuration as [Ar] 3d 4s . The isotopes of nickel range in atomic weight from 48 u ( Ni ) to 82 u ( Ni ). Natural nickel is composed of five stable isotopes , Ni , Ni , Ni , Ni and Ni , of which Ni is the most abundant (68.077% natural abundance ). Nickel-62 has the highest binding energy per nucleon of any nuclide : 8.7946 MeV/nucleon. Its binding energy
5796-717: The large deposits in the Sudbury Basin in Canada in 1883, in Norilsk -Talnakh in Russia in 1920, and in the Merensky Reef in South Africa in 1924 made large-scale nickel production possible. Aside from the aforementioned Bactrian coins, nickel was not a component of coins until the mid-19th century. 99.9% nickel five-cent coins were struck in Canada (the world's largest nickel producer at
5888-451: The late 1960s and early 1970s. WMC re-acquired a 70 percent interest in the project in October 1990, forming a joint-venture with Resolute Resources by investing A$ 1 million in cash and a commitment to carry out a feasibility study and to manage the proposed project as well as covering the first A$ 10 million of it. WMC had a test pit excavated in 1992 to gather data for the potential project, at
5980-772: The long half-life of Fe , its persistence in materials in the Solar System may generate observable variations in the isotopic composition of Ni . Therefore, the abundance of Ni in extraterrestrial material may give insight into the origin of the Solar System and its early history. At least 26 nickel radioisotopes have been characterized; the most stable are Ni with half-life 76,000 years, Ni (100 years), and Ni (6 days). All other radioisotopes have half-lives less than 60 hours and most these have half-lives less than 30 seconds. This element also has one meta state . Radioactive nickel-56
6072-424: The magnesium can be dissolved directly in a suitable metal solvent before reversion starts happening. Rapid quenching of the vapour can also be performed to prevent reversion. A newer process, solid oxide membrane technology, involves the electrolytic reduction of MgO. At the cathode, Mg ion is reduced by two electrons to magnesium metal. The electrolyte is yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The anode
6164-416: The metals at a profit. The United States Mint , anticipating this practice, implemented new interim rules on December 14, 2006, subject to public comment for 30 days, which criminalized the melting and export of cents and nickels. Violators can be punished with a fine of up to $ 10,000 and/or a maximum of five years in prison. As of September 19, 2013, the melt value of a US nickel (copper and nickel included)
6256-446: The meteorite from Campo del Cielo (Argentina), which had been obtained in 1783 by Miguel Rubín de Celis, discovering the presence in them of nickel (about 10%) along with iron. The most common oxidation state of nickel is +2, but compounds of Ni , Ni , and Ni are well known, and the exotic oxidation states Ni and Ni have been characterized. Nickel tetracarbonyl (Ni(CO) 4 ), discovered by Ludwig Mond ,
6348-548: The mine exhausted the available supply in the state. This, combined with a grade as low as one percent and the excessive use of acid damaging the process plant eventually forced Preston Resources into near-financial collapse. The same process was also used at the Cawse Nickel Mine, which suffered a similar fate, and the Murrin Murrin Nickel Mine, which survived because of its much larger size of deposit. Reasons for
6440-478: The mine's lack of operational success where Bulong's nickel grade, which was comparatively low at one percent average while, at the same time, the deposit suffered from magnesium impurities of approximately five percent. To remove the magnesium impurities, up to 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of sulphuric acid were required per tonne of ore, considerably higher than the comparable Cawse operation, which used 350 kilograms (770 lb) per tonne. The nickel deposit itself
6532-476: The oldest objects in the Solar System and contain preserved information about its early history. It is conventional to plot Mg / Mg against an Al/Mg ratio. In an isochron dating plot, the Al/Mg ratio plotted is Al / Mg . The slope of the isochron has no age significance, but indicates the initial Al / Al ratio in the sample at the time when the systems were separated from
6624-505: The only source for nickel was the rare Kupfernickel. Beginning in 1824, nickel was obtained as a byproduct of cobalt blue production. The first large-scale smelting of nickel began in Norway in 1848 from nickel-rich pyrrhotite . The introduction of nickel in steel production in 1889 increased the demand for nickel; the nickel deposits of New Caledonia , discovered in 1865, provided most of the world's supply between 1875 and 1915. The discovery of
6716-608: The overall reaction being very energy intensive, creating environmental risks. The Pidgeon process is more advantageous regarding its simplicity, shorter construction period, low power consumption and overall good magnesium quality compared to the electrolysis method. In the United States, magnesium was once obtained principally with the Dow process in Corpus Christi TX , by electrolysis of fused magnesium chloride from brine and sea water . A saline solution containing Mg ions
6808-407: The principal mineral mixtures are nickeliferous limonite , (Fe,Ni)O(OH), and garnierite (a mixture of various hydrous nickel and nickel-rich silicates). Nickel sulfides commonly exist as solid solutions with iron in minerals such as pentlandite and pyrrhotite with the formula Fe 9-x Ni x S 8 and Fe 7-x Ni x S 6 , respectively. Other common Ni-containing minerals are millerite and
6900-435: The project received only limited interest, forcing Resolute Resources, as the underwriter, to make a substantial financial contribution. The mine subsequently underperformed in production and finances, reaching a low point of an almost A$ 250 million loss in 2000–01. Losses were greatly reduced the following year at just under A$ 10 million but, despite this, in August 2002, Preston Resources was forced to sell its complete stake in
6992-504: The project, which was taken over by the bondholders and Barclays , which suffered an estimated A$ 300 million loss in the process. At the point of sale, Preston had accumulated A$ 700 million in debt, which it cleared through the sale. Despite this, the company's two-year suspension from the Australian securities exchange remained in place because of a lack of funds. Preston Resources survived its financial difficulties and suspension and, after
7084-443: The quantity of these metals improves corrosion resistance. Sufficient manganese overcomes the corrosive effects of iron. This requires precise control over composition, increasing costs. Adding a cathodic poison captures atomic hydrogen within the structure of a metal. This prevents the formation of free hydrogen gas, an essential factor of corrosive chemical processes. The addition of about one in three hundred parts arsenic reduces
7176-477: The reversible reduction of protons to H 2 . Nickel(II) forms compounds with all common anions, including sulfide , sulfate , carbonate, hydroxide, carboxylates, and halides. Nickel(II) sulfate is produced in large amounts by dissolving nickel metal or oxides in sulfuric acid , forming both a hexa- and heptahydrate useful for electroplating nickel. Common salts of nickel, such as chloride, nitrate, and sulfate, dissolve in water to give green solutions of
7268-455: The salt. The formation of a white precipitate indicates the presence of magnesium ions. Azo violet dye can also be used, turning deep blue in the presence of an alkaline solution of magnesium salt. The color is due to the adsorption of azo violet by Mg(OH) 2 . As of 2013, magnesium alloys consumption was less than one million tonnes per year, compared with 50 million tonnes of aluminium alloys . Their use has been historically limited by
7360-518: The shores of the Great Salt Lake . In September 2021, China took steps to reduce production of magnesium as a result of a government initiative to reduce energy availability for manufacturing industries, leading to a significant price increase. The Pidgeon process and the Bolzano process are similar. In both, magnesium oxide is the precursor to magnesium metal. The magnesium oxide is produced as
7452-573: The solid state if it is powdered and heated to just below the melting point, forming Magnesium nitride Mg 3 N 2 . Magnesium reacts with water at room temperature, though it reacts much more slowly than calcium, a similar group 2 metal. When submerged in water, hydrogen bubbles form slowly on the surface of the metal; this reaction happens much more rapidly with powdered magnesium. The reaction also occurs faster with higher temperatures (see § Safety precautions ). Magnesium's reversible reaction with water can be harnessed to store energy and run
7544-416: The subsequent 5-cent pieces. This alloy proportion is not ferromagnetic . The US nickel coin contains 0.04 ounces (1.1 g) of nickel, which at the April 2007 price was worth 6.5 cents, along with 3.75 grams of copper worth about 3 cents, with a total metal value of more than 9 cents. Since the face value of a nickel is 5 cents, this made it an attractive target for melting by people wanting to sell
7636-403: The tendency of Mg alloys to corrode, creep at high temperatures, and combust. In magnesium alloys, the presence of iron , nickel , copper , or cobalt strongly activates corrosion . In more than trace amounts, these metals precipitate as intermetallic compounds , and the precipitate locales function as active cathodic sites that reduce water, causing the loss of magnesium. Controlling
7728-399: The terrestrial age of meteorites and to determine abundances of extraterrestrial dust in ice and sediment . Nickel-78, with a half-life of 110 milliseconds, is believed an important isotope in supernova nucleosynthesis of elements heavier than iron. Ni, discovered in 1999, is the most proton-rich heavy element isotope known. With 28 protons and 20 neutrons , Ni is " doubly magic ", as
7820-552: The time) during non-war years from 1922 to 1981; the metal content made these coins magnetic. During the war years 1942–1945, most or all nickel was removed from Canadian and US coins to save it for making armor. Canada used 99.9% nickel from 1968 in its higher-value coins until 2000. Coins of nearly pure nickel were first used in 1881 in Switzerland. Birmingham forged nickel coins in c. 1833 for trading in Malaysia. In
7912-505: The very stable calcium silicate. The Mg/Ca ratio of the precursors can be adjusted by the addition of MgO or CaO. The Pidgeon and the Bolzano process differ in the details of the heating and the configuration of the reactor. Both generate gaseous Mg that is condensed and collected. The Pidgeon process dominates the worldwide production. The Pidgeon method is less technologically complex and because of distillation/vapour deposition conditions,
8004-586: Was a gold mining location, with gold being discovered there in 1893 and mined until 1908. The nickel and cobalt laterite deposit at Bulong were discovered by the exploration department of WMC Resources in 1978 but not considered viable to be mined. WMC sold the deposit to Resolution Mining in 1987. At the start of its development in the 1990s, the Bulong nickel deposit was hailed as the potential starting point of another nickel boom in Western Australia, similar to
8096-559: Was approximately 1,100 kt in 2017, with the bulk being produced in China (930 kt) and Russia (60 kt). The United States was in the 20th century the major world supplier of this metal, supplying 45% of world production even as recently as 1995. Since the Chinese mastery of the Pidgeon process the US market share is at 7%, with a single US producer left as of 2013: US Magnesium, a Renco Group company located on
8188-450: Was located in clay , which had a tendency to bog up the process plant. Additionally, gypsum found in the clay caused calcium build-up in the pipes of the process circuits which had to be removed, causing partial plant shut downs. Less than a year after the sale by Preston, the operation went into receivership in May 2003, and mining operations were suspended. In 2005, the mining infrastructure
8280-429: Was patented by Ludwig Mond and has been in industrial use since before the beginning of the 20th century. In this process, nickel is treated with carbon monoxide in the presence of a sulfur catalyst at around 40–80 °C to form nickel carbonyl . In a similar reaction with iron, iron pentacarbonyl can form, though this reaction is slow. If necessary, the nickel may be separated by distillation. Dicobalt octacarbonyl
8372-454: Was purchased by Lionore, which did not intend to use it for laterite nickel production but for the more commonplace sulphide deposits instead, while the mining tenements went to Heron Resources. The process plant passed into the ownership of Norilsk Nickel by 2008–09, now under the name of Avalon-Bulong with just 13 people employed there. In 2014, the mine was purchased at an undisclosed sum by privately owned Wingstar Investments, alongside
8464-611: Was typical of the new generation of nickel mines in WA". Bulong was one of three similar projects under development at the time, together with the Cawse Nickel Mine and the Murrin Murrin Nickel Mine , with all three suffering similar difficulties and similar delays. In 1998, Resolute Resources sold the Bulong deposit for A$ 319 million to Preston Resources. The transaction was not seen as favorable for Preston, who had committed to
#87912