At Richard and Smirk Metals Ltd, we offer specialist testing on all nickel alloys. If you have metal to recycle that contains nickel alloys, we have the capacity for testing on all nickel alloys so that it can be recycled correctly.
Nickel is a metal with a silvery white colour. It is valuable for many industrial and manufacturing processes because it is a hard metal which is ductile. This means that it can be drawn out into wires effectively. Nickel is part of a group of elements that are known as ‘transition metals’, which is a group of metals which are dense and useful in alloy with other metals. Nickel is only found as pure metal in the Earth’s crust in tiny amounts, as well as in the interior of some meteorites that survive entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
We carry out testing on all nickel alloys because there is a wide range of nickel alloys that are used in industries and manufacturing. Nickel offers different qualities in the alloys it is part of. One of the most important features is that nickel can alter the hardness of the metals that it is mixed with. This is important if the metal is to be used in a role where it will face wear and tear. Another key feature is that the nickel can improve the weldability of the alloy, or how easy it is to weld to another piece of metal. The nickel in the nickel alloys can also make the material more ductile, or stretchable.
The most common reason to use nickel in metal alloys, especially stainless steel, is that it can increase the natural resistance to corrosion and rusting. This can work in different ways. The zinc itself offers a natural corrosion protection, so when present in a nickel alloy like some stainless steels, it reduces the chemical reactions that lead to rust. It can also be used in a sacrificial alloy, like zinc-nickel alloys, which work by oxidising in contact with the air, leaving a protective coating which seals the rest of the metal from the air and preventing further corrosion or oxidisation.
This all means that nickel is a valuable metal. But the problem is that with so many combinations of nickel alloys, it is hard to know what the metal really is. For example, there are nickel alloys with as much as 76% nickel in the mix, but there are also nickel alloys with 10% or less nickel. It is important that metals with nickel in are recycled correctly according to the composition of the metal so that the characteristics of the alloy that make it valuable are not lost.
At Richard and Smirk Metals Ltd, we offer the testing on all nickel alloys that you need. By using our testing on all nickel alloys, we can recycle the metal properly. This is good for the environment, but also means that your scrap is valued correctly.
For more information, including all enquiries about our testing on all nickel alloys, contact us today with the details on the website.
