Iron–nickel alloy
- 1 min read
- 3 chapters
Related on Lably
Some manufactured alloys of iron–nickel are called nickel steel or stainless steel. Depending on the intended use of the alloy, these are usually fortified with small amounts of other metals, such as chromium, cobalt, molybdenum, and titanium.
Astronomy and geology
Iron and nickel are the most abundant elements produced during the final stage of stellar nucleosynthesis in massive stars. Heavier elements require other forms of nucleosynthesis, such as during a supernova or neutron star merger. Iron and nickel are the most abundant metals in metallic meteorites and in the dense metal cores of telluric planets, such as Earth.
Nickel–iron alloys occur naturally on Earth's surface as telluric iron or meteoric iron.
Sign in to keep reading
2 more chapters are free with a Lably account.
Chemistry and metallurgy
The affinity of nickel atoms (atomic number 28) for iron (atomic number 26) results in natural occurring alloys and a large number of commercial alloys. The surfaces of these metallic compounds provide a complex electron environment for catalyzing chemical reactions.
In steel metallurgy, nickel is alloyed with iron since 1888 (date of Schneider et Cie's patent on nickel steel based on Jean Werth's research) to produce maraging steel and some low-alloy steels. Other technological uses include Invar and Mu-metal.
Alloy summary
The following table is an overview of different iron–nickel alloys. Naturally occurring alloys are a type of mineral and called native elements or native metals. Some of the entries have more than one crystal structure (e.g. meteoric iron is a mixture of two crystal structures).