Many metals exist in the world. They have been beautifully classified in the periodic table of Mendeleev. They have been organized in sequence based on the number of atoms they have. Metals have a vital role to play in human life. Chrome is also known as chromium and nickel are two such metals that fulfill countless needs of human beings.
Chrome vs Nickel
The main difference between Chrome and Nickel is that Chrome, which is also known as chromium, has the 24th atomic number in the periodic table while nickel has the 28th atomic number in the same table. Their mass and other properties also differentiate from each other. Both chrome and nickel are noncorrosive.
A metal known as Chrome is a natural chemical occurring in various elements. Chrome is also known as chromium. The properties that Chrome contains are not valuable alone, but when it is used in layering on other metals such as aluminum, copper, stainless steel, brass, then it becomes more precious.
Nickel is a silvery, pure white metal that is hard and usually mixed with other elements or metals. Nickel has a golden tint and a shining base. Nickel is ductile and just like chromium, it has anti-corrosion properties. Laterites and magmatic sulfides are two ores from which nickel is extracted.
Comparison Table Between Chrome and Nickel
| Parameters Of Comparison | Chrome | Nickel |
| Plating | The process of plating the Chrome layers on non-metals or metal which includes chemical methods called chromium plating. | The process of plating the Nickel layers on non-metals or metal which includes chemical methods called nickel plating. |
| Usage | Chrome is mostly used to make stainless steel and harden the Steel. It can be used for decorative purposes. | Nickel is used to make coins, plating on armors, on turbine blades of submarines, to make batteries, etc. |
| Colour | Chrome has a silvery greyish color and it is a brittle and hard metal. | Nickel has a silvery yellowish color that reflects a little golden tint which is liable to take a high polish. |
| Structure | The metal chrome belongs to group 6 of the periodic table and it has a body-centered cubic structure. | The metal nickel belongs to group 10 of the periodic table and it has a face-centered-cubic structure. |
| Atomic number and mass | According to the periodic table, the atomic number of Chrome is 24 while the atomic mass is 51.996. | According to the periodic table, the atomic number of nickel is 28 while the atomic mass is 58.693 |
What is Chrome?
Chrome is a natural chemical. The name of Chrome is taken from the Greek word chrōma which means color. The reason for this name is that the compounds of chrome are intensively colored. In science, it is represented by the symbol Cr. The atomic number of chromium in the periodic table is 24. In group 6, it is the first element.
The appearance of chrome is silvery metallic. The atomic mass that Chrome contains is 51.9961 u. The color of Chrome is steely grey and it is a hard, transitive metal. Stainless steel is an alloy in which chromium is used as a significant additive. It adds anti-corrosive properties to Steel.
A thin layer of chromium is used on neodymium, Cooper, magnesium, brass, and magnesium to protect them from corrosion. This makes chromium a highly valued metal. The metal chrome is hard and corrosion-resistant. Because of its anti-corrosive properties, it is used as an additive in steel.
Chrome is the first element in the periodic table that disobeys the Aufbau principle. Chromium is known to be the third hardest element. The other two hardest elements are carbon (diamond) and boron. The Mohs hardness of chrome is 8.5.
What is Nickel?
Nickel is known as a natural element because it is obtained from the core of the earth. In the periodic table, nickel is shown by the symbol Ni. It has the atomic number 28th in the periodic table and the atomic mass of Nickel is 58.6934 u. Nickel has been an essential part of human material civilization from a very old time.
Previously, nickel was mistaken for iron because both metals have very close melting points. Nickel is mostly used to make utensils because of its non-corrosive properties and it was also considered as silver by the people of Peru. A person from Stockholm named Alex Fredrik Cronstedt discovered Nickel.
Nickel has good ductility and mechanical strength. Nickel is not soluble in water. Nickel is used a lot in making alloys, aerospace industry, architectural applications, Marines, etc. Nickel is also used for plating and for this plating the German polish of Nickel is used. Russia is known to be the largest producer of Nickel in the world.
In Germany, miners found a yellow metallic metal and thought it was copper ore. But when they became unable to extract any copper from it, they claimed that this metal was under the effect of a German mythology sprite, Nickel. This is how nickel got its name.
Main Differences Between Chrome and Nickel
- The reflection of chrome is brighter and shinier. On the other hand, nickel has a faded shine and reflection compared to chromium.
- For decorative purposes, chrome goes with colors that are cooler in tone while nickel supplements warmer colors according to the interior designers.
- The duration of corrosion resistance provided by chrome is longer. On the other hand, nickel is tarnished in the early stage compared to the chrome.
- Chrome comes in grey and silver color that doesn’t need much polishing while nickel comes in silvery color with the slight reflection of golden tinge.
- Chrome has a body-centered cubic structure. On the other hand, nickel has a face-centered-cubic structure.
Conclusion
Metal is described or defined as a solid substance that has various physical properties and thermal or electrical conductivity. Various metals are used to make ornaments and jewelry. Some metals are used to make utensils and furniture.
Chrome and Nickel are also used for various purposes such as plating on other metals, making of alloys, hardening different metals, etc. The use of metal is complex. Metals are the gift of nature to humankind.
They should be consumed properly because some of them can not be replaced if they are used thoroughly. Metals have been around human civilization from ancient times.
References
- https://academic.oup.com/jn/article-abstract/130/4/715/4686593
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1081/CLT-100102423