Simply put, the vast majority of nickel ore mined globally (approximately 70%) is used to produce stainless steel. However, with the recent boom in the new energy industry, nickel for electric vehicle batteries has become increasingly important.
The following is a detailed breakdown of the main uses of nickel ore:
1. Stainless steel production (the absolute mainstay)
This is nickel's most traditional and largest use, consuming approximately 70% of global nickel production.
• Function: Nickel's primary role in stainless steel is to enhance the material's corrosion resistance, toughness, and strength. The most common 304 stainless steel contains over 8% nickel.
• Applications: It is used virtually everywhere, including kitchen utensils, home appliances, building materials (curtain walls, handrails), medical devices, chemical equipment, and food processing equipment.
2. Battery materials (the fastest-growing sector)
This is the new engine driving global nickel demand growth, primarily used in lithium-ion batteries for new energy vehicles. • Function: Used in the manufacture of battery cathode materials, primarily high-nickel ternary lithium batteries (such as NMC 811, which is 80% nickel, 10% manganese, and 10% cobalt each). High-nickel formulations can increase battery energy density, enabling longer driving ranges for electric vehicles.
• Applications: Electric vehicles (EVs), electric bicycles, large-scale energy storage power stations, electronic devices such as laptops and mobile phones.
3. Alloy Manufacturing (Improving Metal Properties)
Nickel is a key component in many high-performance alloys, accounting for approximately 10% of all alloys.
• Function: Forms "superalloys" with other metals such as chromium, cobalt, and molybdenum, resulting in excellent properties such as high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and high strength.
• Applications:
• Aerospace: Jet engine turbine blades, engine components, and spacecraft parts.
• Energy and Power: Corrosion-resistant piping for gas turbines and nuclear power plants.
• Chemical Industry: Reactor vessels and piping that must withstand extreme temperatures and corrosive chemicals.
4. Electroplating (Surface Treatment)
• Function: Coating a layer of nickel onto the surface of metal (primarily steel) to prevent rust and corrosion and create a bright, aesthetically pleasing surface. Often used as a base coat before chrome plating.
• Applications: Automotive parts (door handles, bumpers), faucets, furniture hardware, electronic product casings, etc.
5. Other Uses
• Foundry: Coinage production. For example, coins in some countries are made of a copper-nickel alloy.
• Catalyst: Used as a catalyst in hydrogenation reactions in the petrochemical industry.
• Chemicals: Used in the production of various nickel salts and chemicals.
• Additional Knowledge: Two Types of Nickel Ore and Their Applications
To understand the uses of nickel ore, it's important to understand that nickel ore is primarily pided into two categories.
Their different economic value and processing methods also influence their applications:
1. Nickel Sulfide Ore:
• Characteristics: Typically high-grade, but relatively scarce, with a longer mining history. Mainly found in Canada, Russia, and other regions. • Main Uses: Because it contains fewer impurities and is easier to process into pure metal (electrolytic nickel), it is a preferred raw material for batteries, electroplating, and high-purity alloys. However, these mineral resources are gradually becoming depleted.
2. Laterite Nickel Ore:
• Characteristics: The resource is vast, accounting for approximately 70% of global nickel resources, but its grade is low and contains a high concentration of impurities (such as iron). It is primarily found in countries near the equator, such as Indonesia and the Philippines.
• Main Uses: Traditionally, nickel pig iron (NPI) and ferronickel (FeNi) are directly produced through pyrometallurgical smelting. These products are directly used as raw materials in stainless steel production. In recent years, wet processes such as high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) have also enabled the extraction of nickel sulfate for battery production from laterite nickel ore.
Nickel is an indispensable metal in modern society. While its core market remains stainless steel, batteries are rapidly becoming its most important growth driver and may even challenge stainless steel's dominance in the future. Other applications such as high-end alloys and electroplating ensure the persity and stability of its needs.
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