Nickel Paste

See more Nickel products. Nickel (atomic symbol: Ni, atomic number: 28) is a Block D, Group 4, Period 4 element with an atomic weight of 58.6934. The number of electrons in each of nickel's shells is [2, 8, 16, 2] and its electron configuration is [Ar]3d⁸ 4s². Nickel was first discovered by Alex Constedt in 1751. The nickel atom has a radius of 124 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 184 pm. In its elemental form, nickel has a lustrous metallic silver appearance. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal that is considered corrosion-resistant because of its slow rate of oxidation. It is one of four elements that are ferromagnetic and is used in the production of various type of magnets for commercial use. Nickel is sometimes found free in nature but is more commonly found in ores. The bulk of mined nickel comes from laterite and magmatic sulfide ores. The name originates from the German word kupfernickel, which means "false copper" from the illusory copper color of the ore.