Nickel contributes to the achievement of many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in lots of ways. While its role is often hidden, nickel is an enabler of many technologies required for sustainability. The nickel value chain is also a significant contributor to economic development. And the science and technical know-how shared freely by the Nickel Institute contribute knowledge to enable nickel to be used safely and efficiently.
The qualities and high performance of nickel-containing stainless steel plays a vital role in the manufacture of advanced medicines as well as medical devices and equipment. Nickel enhances the ability of stainless steel to withstand repeated sterilization while remaining strong and resistant to corrosion, giving costly instruments a long lifespan without loss of quality.
The Nickel Institute provides human health science as well as technical expertise to enable the safe and efficient use of nickel in health applications.
Nickel assists in virtually every step of the delivery of drinking water. Nickel’s strength, toughness, ductility, ease of welding and corrosion resistance are ideal for use in water treatment, transportation and distribution. Nickel-containing stainless steel is used in water pipes, water treatment plants and equipment that is durable, easy to install and safe to use. In this way, nickel contributes to an efficient infrastructure which provides clean water and minimizes water loss.
The Nickel Institute provides technical assistance and information on innovative solutions to ensure safe and efficient water treatment and prevent water loss. We also provide data that ensures water quality standards are based on sound science to protect the environment and ensure the water is safe.
As a key component in batteries, wind turbines, solar cells, bio energy plant and equipment as well as carbon capture and storage and nuclear power, nickel plays a crucial role in the production and storage of low carbon energy. Nickel enables such technologies to be a central part of the world's efforts to tackle climate change.
The Nickel Institute ensures that materials’ decision makers are aware of the benefits of nickel and provides technical knowledge in key energy applications. This enables the properties of nickel to be harnessed to contribute to effective, affordable, clean energy applications.
Thanks to the extraordinary physical and mechanical properties it provides to the materials it is used with, nickel creates strong and lasting stainless steel rebar and structural materials used in a wide range of construction and infrastructure applications. From curtain walls to bridges, nickel enhances material performance in the most challenging environments and contributes to long life and lowest overall cost.
The Nickel Institute ensures that materials' specifiers are aware of the benefits of nickel in structural applications. We provide technical knowledge and capacity building for engineers and specifiers across the world. Our workshops and publications provide the know-how to select the best material for the application, taking into account environmental factors and life cycle costs.
Nickel-containing materials make our urban environments safer, more attractive and longer lasting. Their properties allow imaginative and cost-effective architectural and transport solutions, making it possible to build multi-functional and smarter buildings and infrastructure. The safe, clean and efficient critical services that we expect in modern sustainable cities, from sustainable power generation to water supply, are enabled by nickel. Nickel-containing materials used in critical components are durable and require very low maintenance, contributing to much longer life at lower environmental cost.
The Nickel Institute collects information on nickel, its life cycle and recycling to enable informed choices to be made in the selection of materials for sustainability. We provide technical knowledge and capacity building for engineers and specifiers across the world. Our workshops and publications provide the know-how to select the best material for the application, taking into account environmental factors and life cycle costs. We also provide technical assistance and information on innovative solutions for water distribution systems for cities.
The properties of nickel contribute to materials which are long lasting and can be recycled at the end of life. Nickel-containing materials have end-of-life value, are easily identified and can be turned into new high quality materials with less energy without losing any of nickel's properties. There are financial as well as regulatory and ethical reasons for making the effort to recover nickel, contributing towards an economy that uses resources more efficiently.
Nickel also helps to reduce food wastage. For example, at every step of food processing, manufacturing, storage and distribution, nickel-containing stainless steel provides machinery and equipment that are robust as well as easily cleaned and disinfected. Enabling hygienic conditions to prevent food losses.
The Nickel Institute provides information to policy makers and materials’ decision makers, so they are aware of the benefits of nickel-containing materials and can make informed materials choices from a sustainability perspective. We support academic research in the context of industrial ecology and conduct our own research into the life cycle management of nickel and nickel-containing products.
Nickel-containing materials are helping the marine industry to minimize the release of harmful emissions. Marine scrubbers depend on nickel alloys and nickel-containing stainless steel to minimise the release of sulphur into the atmosphere from ships. Copper-nickel alloys allow marine organisms to be removed easily from ships’ hulls, reducing the need for hazardous anti-fouling paints.
The Nickel Institute generates robust peer-reviewed science to contribute to appropriately protective Environmental Quality Standards and Temperate and Tropical risk assessments.
The properties of nickel - toughness, malleability and enhanced corrosion resistance as well as energy density and storage capabilities - are why nickel-containing materials play such an important role in providing energy, transport, food and clean water solutions. Because of their performance in challenging environments, nickel-containing materials continue to contribute to a sustainable economy and society. And at the end-of-life they can be recycled and with less energy and turned into new high-quality materials.
