Nickel and stainless steel are two different types of metals and a difference between them can be noted based on their different properties and applications. The key difference between these two metals is, Nickel is a pure chemical element in d-block with some unique properties whereas stainless steel is a metal alloy containing iron, Chromium, and Nickel. The composition of those three elements vary in stainless steel; nickel contributes the least amount of quantity in composition. The pure Nickel oxidizes slowly at room temperature; therefore it is a relatively corrosion resistant element. Due to its corrosion resistance, it is used in the production of corrosion resistant metal alloys. One of those examples is stainless steel.
Nickel is a chemical element (symbol Ni and atomic number 28) in the periodic table and a transition metal in the d-block. Nickel is used in many areas for industrial applications; for example, in buildings, water supply systems, electronic equipment, chemical industry, transport industry and medical equipment. The main reason for this wide range of application is due to its various characteristic properties. In other words, Nickel has a unique combination of properties; it is a ductile metal with a high boiling point (14530C), possesses magnetic properties at room temperature, and can be used as a catalyst for some chemical reactions.
Stainless steel is a metal alloy which is made using a combination of several metals; iron, Chromium, and Nickel. The main property of stainless steel is its corrosion and stain resistance; they are durable and used in many fields such as buildings, transport, food and beverage handling, chemical plants, and medical equipment. Stainless steel is durable, and it needs a low maintenance cost; therefore it is used in a large range of applications in many fields.
Composition of Nickel and Stainless Steel
Nickel: Nickel is a pure chemical element; it is also a member of transition metal group. Nickel has five naturally occurring stable isotopes; 58Ni, 60Ni, 61Ni, 62Ni, and 64Ni. The most abundant isotope is 58Ni, and its natural occurrence is about 68.077%.
Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is a combination of iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr) and Nickel (Ni). In general, stainless steel contains a large amount of iron and less amount of Nickel (8%-10%). Chromium is the second largest element in its composition. The use of Nickel in stainless steel is not cost effective. Therefore, manufacturers try to use the minimum amount of Nickel.
Properties of Nickel and Stainless Steel
Nickel: Nickel possesses unique properties; for example it is a ductile metal with magnetic properties. It oxidizes slowly at room temperature, in other words, it is a stable element at room temperature and resists corrosion. Nickel has a high boiling point, and it can be used as a catalyst in some industrial scale chemical production.
Stainless Steel: The most predominant property of stainless steel is its corrosion resistance and resistant to stain. In addition, it is a strong metal and durable for many years with a low maintenance cost. Stainless steel is an environment-friendly product because it can be fully recycled.
Applications of Nickel and Stainless Steel
Nickel: The majority of Nickel production is used to produce Nickel steels; as a fraction, it is about 46% of total production. In addition, it is used to produce non-ferrous alloys and super alloys and in electroplating. There are several unique applications of Nickel; to produce magnets, coins, guitar strings, rechargeable batteries and microphone capsules.
Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is used in producing cooking equipment, cutlery, household hardware, medical equipment and jewelry.
Image Courtesy: “Stainless Steel Sheet Plate Strip Coil Circle” by Jatinsanghvi – Own work.(CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons
For special steel grades, we also need to use the following three methods for identification.
The identification of the grinding is to grind the stainless steel on the grinder and observe the spark. If the spark is streamlined and has more dense knots, it is a high manganese or manganese nitrogen steel with higher manganese content. If there is no knot, it is chrome steel or chrome-nickel stainless steel.
For cold-worked chrome-nickel stainless steel, if it is magnetic, we can take a small piece and put it in a fire until it is reddish, let it cool naturally or put it into water to anneal. Generally, after annealing, the magnetic properties will be significantly weakened or completely disappeared. However, some chrome-nickel stainless steels, such as Cr18Ni11Si4AlTi steel and Cr21Ni5Ti steel, have a large proportion of ferrite in their steel, and a considerable part of their internal structure is ferrite. Therefore, it is magnetic even in the state of hot working.
The best way to correctly distinguish stainless steel grades is to use stainless steel identifying reagent to identify them. This is also the easiest way.
The method of using the stainless steel identifying reagent, is to determine or distinguish by observing the color change characteristics. “Color change” is often associated with specific elements such as nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo), and manganese (Mn) in the steel being tested. At present, there are many stainless steel identifying reagents on the market. In Shanghai, Ningbo and other places, some manufacturers specializing in the development of stainless steel identifying / test reagent have been in market for a long time, while some of them have been engaged in chemical technology. Chemical reagent companies have also developed stainless steel identifying solutions for the needs of the stainless steel industry. At present, although the stainless steel identifying reagent has many brands, the products seem to be the same, and can basically be divided into two types. One type does not need a battery and the other one needs to be equipped with a battery.
Test method (no battery reagent): Drop the stainless steel identifying reagent on the surface of the stainless steel, observe the color change of the reagent after two minutes, and then distinguish the stainless steel grade.
The stainless steel identifying reagent that does not require the use of batteries is often not subdivided. The use of such small steel identifying reagents is mainly by measuring the change in color of the droplets after the surface of the stainless steel, and then distinguishing them by the chromatogram. For example, there is a stainless steel identifying reagent called “304” on the market, which is marked with four standard colors corresponding to four stainless steel grades – 201, 202, 301, 304, of which 201 corresponds to deep red, 202 corresponds to red , 301 corresponds to light red, and 304 corresponds to colorless or light yellow. These colors refer to the colors respectively exhibited when the stainless steel identifying reagent is used for the test.
There are many kinds of identifying reagents on the market that need to use batteries, such as “Mo2, low Ni, Ni2, Ni4, Ni6, Ni8, Ni14, Ni20, Ni40, Ni60”, etc. Some products use “N” instead of “Ni” on the label. “. These products can be used alone or in combination to determine the approximate content (percentage) of the corresponding elements of nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo), manganese (Mn) in steel, and then to distinguish steel according to relevant standards.
For example, the method of using “Ni8” identifying reagent. When using, firstly apply a proper amount of “Ni8” medicine on a clean steel surface, then connect the positive electrode of the battery to the steel plate, and connect the negative electrode to the “Ni8” medicine bead on the steel surface. Do not touch the steel surface. After a few seconds, stop energizing to observe the color change of the bead on the steel surface. If the color turns red, it indicates that the nickel in the steel is around 8% or above, otherwise the color of the bead will become yellowish or unchanged.
For example, the use of “low Ni” identifying reagent. “Low Ni” identifying reagent is a powerful weapon for the determination of low nickel (Ni) high manganese (Mn) stainless steel. If the bead is purple-red after electrification, the manganese content in the steel is More than 6%, the nickel content is generally below 5.5%. If the bead is colorless or light yellow, generally the stainless steel should be 301, 304, 430 or other materials.
For example, the use of “Mo2” identifying reagent. If the red complex formed by electrooxidation does not fade, it indicates that the molybdenum content in the steel is about 2% or more.
The usage method and color indication of each type of identifying reagent will be described in detail in the instruction manual.
Using the stainless steel identifying reagent, we can easily identify inferior stainless steel. For example, to identify 304 stainless steel, we can use the stainless steel identifying reagent for testing. If it is true 304, we use the above “304 type” identifying reagent or “Ni8” type classification reagent to test, it should appear corresponding test results have appeared corresponding color changes. Otherwise, it is not true 304.
The stainless steel classification reagent on the market is small in size, light in weight, easy to carry, low in cost, and easy to test. It is an effective tool. If you want to test if the stainless steel water bottle you have purchased is made of 304 stainless steel, you can try the method described in this article. As the world’s leading stainless steel water bottle manufacturer, we recommend that you identify product quality and stainless steel grade when purchasing stainless steel water bottles and other stainless steel products.