Nickel can be found in many forms from nanowires to stainless steel alloys. But what are the properties of nickel that make it an essential element in batteries?
Nickel-based catalysts are key to supplying energy to power our transportation of goods and people, whether by land, sea, or air.
According to the International Energy Agency, renewable fuel demand is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years. Steve Deutsch from The Catalyst Group explains the role of nickel catalysts and the potential of renewable fuels.
As industries around the globe work to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, there is also effort to prevent its escape into the atmosphere by sequestering it. These technologies are known as carbon, capture and storage.
The upstream and midstream oil and gas industries rely on nickel-containing corrosion resistant alloys for flowlines and risers. Rodrigo Signorelli, Outokumpu’s lead technical manager for marine and energy, explains how alloys reach the market.
The use of food crops for the production of fuel is somewhat controversial. But cellulosic ethanol production facilities increase the utilization of plant waste, reduce competition for food crops and provide a substitution for fossil fuels. And nickel-containing alloys are central to this game-changing revolution.
New advances in the use of Artificial Intelligence have the potential to speed up the process of alloy development.
Ever-tightening sulphur oxide (SOx) emission regulations are increasing the use of marine scrubbers globally. Scrubbers operate in a highly corrosive environment and require the resilience of nickel-containing alloys to prevent failure.
Most nickel production is destined for stainless steel. But a significant 8% is used in the production of alloy steels which are needed to deliver specific characteristics for specialised and often critical applications.