NICKEL

PRINCIPAL ORES Sulphide ores Silicate ores

NICKEL IS A SILVERY WHITE LUSTROUS METAL WHICH BELONGS TO THE TRANSITION METAL AND IS DUCTILE. IT OCCURS IN FREE STATE IN METEORITES. IN COMBINATION ,IT CHIEFLY OCCURS AS SULPHIDE ORES AND SILICATE ORES. BECAUSE OF NICKELS SLOW RATE OF OXIDATATION AT ROOM TEMPERATURE CONSIDERED CORROSION-RESISTANT. HISTORICALLY IT HAS LEAD TO ITS USE FOR PLATING METALS SUCH AS IRON AND BRASS. NICKEL IS ONE OF THE FOUR ELEMENTS THAT ARE FERRO MAGNETIC AROUND ROOM TEMPERATURE. NICKEL IS CHIEFLY VALUABLE IN THE MODERN WORLD FOR ALLOYS IT FORMS. ABOUT 60% OF WORLDS PRODUCTION IS USED IN NICKEL STEEL(PARTICULARLY STAINLESS STEEL).

MANUFACTURE
NICKEL IS EXTRACTED FROM SULPHIDE ORES AS FOLLOWS: THE ORES ARE CLEANED OF EARTHY MATTER. THEY ARE ROASTED IN HEAPS. THE ROASTED ORES ARE SMELTED IN BLAST FURNACE ALONG WITH LIME STONE,QUARTZ AND COKE. THE MOLTED MIXTURE OF NICKEL AND COPPER SULPHIDE COLLECTS AT THE BOTTOM.IT IS LED TO BESSEMER CONVERTER WITH BASIC LINING. AFTER TREATEMENT IN CONVERTER,THE METALLIC NICKEL IS OBTAINED BY REPEATED SMELTING AND ELECTROLYSIS.

PROPERTIES
IT IS RED HOT,IT CAN DECOMPOSE STEAM. IT IS IN FINELY GROUND POWDER FORM,IT MAY ABSORB HYDROGEN TO THE EXTENT OF ABOUT 17 TIMES ITS VOLUME. IT IS CAPABLE OF TAKING HIGH POLISH AND CAN EASILY BE WELDED. IT IS FAIRLY RESISTANT TO THE ACTIONS OF ATMOSSPHER AND BECOMES DULL AFTER A LONG TIME. IT IS NOT ATTACKED BY FUSED ALKALIES. IT RANKS BELOW THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY. ITS RESISTANCE TO CORROSION IS HIGH.

USES
THE USES OF NICKEL DEPEND LARGELY ON ITS ABILITY TO RESIST CORROSION, A PROPERTY ALSO IMPARTED IN LARGE MEASURE TO ITS ALLOYS. NICKEL IS USED IN COINAGE AND FOR ARMOR PLATING. WHEN ADDED TO GLASS, NICKEL GIVES A GREEN COLOUR. NICKEL PLATING IS APPLIED TO OTHER METALS TO PROVIDE A PROTECTIVE COATING. NICKEL IS ALSO USED IN CERAMICS, MAGNETS, AND BATTERIES.

COPPER
COPPER IS EXTRACTED FROM ORES,EG:COPPER PYRITES,SUCH AS CHALCOPYRITES(CuFeS2, 34.5% COPPER), MALACHITE(CuCO3 + Cu(0H)2 , 57.3% COPPER). NEARLY ALL THE COPPER IS EXTRATED BY SMELTING. AFTER CALCINING THE ORE IS MIXED WITH SILICA & COKE. IT IS OXIDIZED IN BESSEMER CONVERTER WERE REMOVAL OF MAJOR PORTION OF IRON, SULPHUR COMPOUND IS EFFECTED. THE CRUDE COPPER JUST PRODUCED A MINOR SOURCE OF COPPER IS COPPER BARILLA, WHICH IS COPPER SAND CONTAINING 60-80% COPPER.

EXTRACTION OF COPPER
THERE ARE THREE PRINCIPLE METHODS OF WINNING OF COPPERS FROM ITS ORES AND THEY ARE : a) DRY PROCESS OR PYROMETALLURGICAL METHOD b) WET PROCESS OR HYDROMETALLURGICAL METHOD c) ELECTRO-METALLURGICAL METHOD

CHARACTERSTICS OF COPPER

PURE COPPER IS REDDISH BROWN SONOROUS METAL IT IS EXTREMELY SOFT AND MAELLIABLE COPPER CAN BE HAMMERED OR ROLLED INTO THIN SHEETS OR DRAWN FINE WIRE THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF COPPER RANGES FROM 8.75 TO 9N THE MELTING POINT IS ABOUT 1100 DEGREE CELCIUS AND IT LOOSES ITS STRENGTH RAPIDLY AS THE TEMPRATURE INCREASES AT A TEMPRATURE BELOW IT BECOMES BRITTLE AND COARSELY FIBROUS ON FRACTURE. WHEN HEATED OR RUBBED IT EMITS A DISAGREABLE ODOUR COPPER IS MORE DURABLE THAN ZINC COPPER IS DURABLE IN TEMPRATE CLIMATES BUT IN HOT CLIMATE IT CORRODES QUICKLY IN A MOI ST ATMOSPHERE OR WHEN USED IN A DAMP PLACE A PROTECTIVE FILM OF BLUISH GREEN CARBONATE OF COPPER IS FORMED ON THE METAL SURFACE

USES OF COPPER

COPPER IS CHEIFLY USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE ALLOYS OF WHICH BRASS AND BRONZE ARE IMPORTANT . COPPER IS EXTENSIVELY USED IN SHEATING WOODEN SHIPS AND BOARDS ,BOLILER TUBE ,COOKING VESSELS,WIRES ,ENGRADE ROLLERS FOR PRINTING ,LIGHTNING AND ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS AND CABLES HOT WATER PIPING,GEYSERS AND BATHS AND VENTILATORS,BELLS AND BELL WIRES ,SLATE NAILS,MASONRY DOWLES,HALF TONE ELECTRIC BLOCKS FOR PRINTING RAIN WATER PIPES AND GUTTERS , COPPER TUBING WIRE NETS ,ETC. COPPER SHOULD BE AVOIDED IN CONNECTION WITH DRINKING WATER