NICKEL. 
into a '.vail, for the coinmodions and agreea- 
ble placing a statue. 
NICKEL. A white metal, which, when 
obtained pure, is both ductile and malle- 
able. It may be forged into very thin 
plates, their thickness not being greater 
than 0.01 of an inch. Its colour is inter- 
mediate between that of silver and tin, and 
is not altered by the air. It is nearly as 
hard as iron. Its specific gravity is 8.279, 
and when forged 8.666. 
The species of nickel ores are its alloy 
with arsenic, and a little sulphur and its 
o.vide. 
The first is the most abundant, and the 
one from which nickel is usually extracted. 
It is known to mineralogists by the name of 
kupfer-nickel, or copper-nickel, from its 
colour and appearance. It occurs generally 
massive and disseminated ; its colour is 
copper-red of various shades ; its lustre is 
weakly, shining, and metallic ; it is per- 
fectly opaque ; its fracture is uneven ; it is 
hard, has no malleability, but is not easily 
broken ; its specific gravity is from 6.6 to 
7.5. Urged by the flame of theblow-pipe, 
it gives vapours with a strong arsenical 
odour, and melts with ditficulty. It dis- 
solves in acids, giving a green solution. Uerg-^ 
man found it to be composed of nickel, 
iron, cobalt, arsenic, and sulphur. Vau- 
quelin regards it as essentially an alloy of 
nickel and arsenic, the iron, cobalt, and 
sulphur, being accidental. 
The other species, the oxide of nickel, 
occurs generally as an incrustation, some- 
times also dLsseminated of a friable texture- 
and earthly appearance ; of an apple green 
colour, without lustre. It is not altered by 
the heat of tlie blow-pipe ; but when mi.xed 
with borax, gives to it a yellowish red co- 
lour. Its solution in acids is of a green co- 
lour. It occurs generally with kupfer- 
nickel, or with certain cobalt ores. It is 
also contained in small quantities in a ibssil 
of the siliceous genus, chrysoprase, to 
which it communicates an apple-green co- 
lour. 
Nickel is extracted from the kupfer- 
nickel, but it is extremely ditficult to free 
it entirely from the metals with which it is 
associated. The process given by Chenevix 
is the most simple. The metal obtained 
from kupfer-nickel, by roasting and fusion 
with three times its own weight of black 
flux, is dissolved in nitric acid, the solution 
being boiled, so that the arsenic present re- 
ceiving oxygen from tlie acid may be con- 
verted into arsenic acid ; a solution of ni- 
trate of lead is then dropped in, and the 
liquor evaporated by a very gentle heat 
but not quite to dryness. Alcohol poured 
into this solution precipitates every salt, 
but the nitrate of nickel, which has been 
formed by the double decomposition of the 
arseniate of nickel and the nitrate of lead. 
The alcohol of the solution of nitrate of 
nickel being evaporated, the metallic salt is 
redissolved in water and decomposed by 
potash. The oxide, well washed and dried, 
is reduced in an Hessian crucible lined with 
lamp-black. 
By the experiments that have been made 
on nickel in its put e state, it appears to be 
proved that it is possessed of magnetic 
power, and that therefore iron is not the 
only metal to which it belongs. The mag- 
netic properties of nickel had often been 
observed ; but as in the usual processes by 
whicli it is obtained, it is always alloyed 
with iron ; it was concluded, with probabi- 
lity, that the magnetism it exhibited was 
owing to the presence of that metal. Since 
methods, however, have since been disco- 
vered of obtaining nickel in a purer state, 
the error of this conclusion has been disco- 
vered. The effect of the magnet on it is 
very little inferior to that which it exerts on 
iron ; and the metal itself becomes mag- 
netic itself by friction with a magnet, or 
even by beating with a hammer. Magnetic 
needles have even been constructed of it in 
France, and have been preferred to those of 
steel, as resisting better the action of the 
air. The nickel preserves its magnetic 
property when alloyed with copper, though 
it is somewhat diminished ; by a small 
portion of arsenic it is completely de- 
stroyed. 
Nickel is extremely fusible ; its fusing 
point being higher than that of iron. 
'I’his metal is oxyded by exposure to the 
atmospheric air at a high temperature, 
though with difficulty. Its oxide is more 
easily obtained by exposure to heat with 
nitre ; it is of an apple green colour, and is 
obtained likewise of this colour by precipi- 
tation from some of its saline combinations. 
It appears to be the oxide St the minimum 
of oxyderaent ; at least, according to the 
experiments of Tiienard, another oxide can 
be formed move highly oxyded. It may be 
obtained by exposing the green oxide to a 
red heat, or by heating it with oxymuriatic 
acid. It appears therefore, to b'.' too highly 
oxydized to be capable of directly com- 
bining with any of the acids. According to 
Richter, o.xide of nickel is reduced by heat 
