Nickel is an important metal in our daily lives and is used in thousands of common applications ranging from low-tech to cutting-edge technology. Some of these common applications include household appliances, cell phones, computers, automobiles, medical devices and heating systems.

Almost 60% of nickel produced is used in the manufacturing of stainless steel, a material that is strong, corrosion-resistant, easy to shape and attractive. Stainless steel made with nickel often contains 60% recycled materials and is used to produce a wide range of common items, including trains and subways, architectural design elements in buildings, high-performance heating systems, automobiles, pots and pans, surgical and dental instruments, drinking water pipes, and in demanding marine and industrial processing applications.

Did you know:

• Nickel is the fifth most common element and is naturally present in many foods
• Nickel is widely used to protect electronic devices against electromagnetic interference
• Hybrid vehicles that run on nickel hydride batteries generate half the harmful emissions of gasoline-fuelled cars
• A standard wind turbine contains 500kg of nickel