View source for Iron–nickel alloy

{{Short description|Group of alloys}}
{{use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
[[File:Widmanstatten hand.jpg|thumb|right|275px|[[Widmanstätten pattern]] in NiFe [[octahedrite]] [[meteorite]]]]
{{Redirect|NiFe|the battery|Nickel–iron battery|the cutting tool|knife}}
An '''iron–nickel alloy''' or '''nickel–iron alloy''', abbreviated '''FeNi''' or '''NiFe''', is a group of [[alloy]]s consisting primarily of the [[chemical element|elements]] [[nickel]] (Ni) and [[iron]] (Fe). It is the main constituent of the "iron" [[planetary core]]s and [[iron meteorite]]s. In [[chemistry]], the acronym '''NiFe''' refers to an iron–nickel [[Catalysis|catalyst]] or component involved in various [[chemical reaction]]s, or the reactions themselves; in [[geology]], it refers to the main constituents of [[terrestrial planet|telluric]] [[planetary core]]s (including [[Structure of the Earth#Core|Earth's]]).
Some [[metallurgy|manufactured alloys]] of iron–nickel are called ''nickel steel'' or ''[[stainless steel]]''. Depending on the intended use of the alloy, these are usually fortified with small amounts of other metals, such as [[chromium]], [[cobalt]], [[molybdenum]], and [[titanium]].
==Astronomy and geology==
[[Iron]] and [[nickel]] are the most abundant elements produced during the final stage of [[stellar nucleosynthesis]] in massive stars. Heavier elements require other forms of [[nucleosynthesis]], such as during a [[supernova]] or [[neutron star merger]].<ref name=Wannier-1980/><ref name=Johnson-2019/> Iron and nickel are the most abundant metals in metallic [[meteorite]]s<ref name=Mason-1971/> and in the dense metal cores of [[terrestrial planet|telluric planets, such as Earth]].
Nickel–iron alloys occur naturally on Earth's surface as [[telluric iron]] or [[meteoric iron]].
==Chemistry and metallurgy==
The affinity of nickel atoms ([[atomic number]]&nbsp;28) for iron (atomic number&nbsp;26) results in natural occurring [[alloy]]s and a large number of [[List of alloys|commercial alloys]]. The surfaces of these metallic compounds provide a complex electron environment for catalyzing chemical reactions.<ref name=Pardo-deLacey-etal-2006/>
In [[steel]] [[metallurgy]], nickel is alloyed with iron since 1888 (date of [[Schneider et Cie]]'s patent<ref>{{Cite patent|country=FR|number=193505|title=Perfectionnements dans la fabrication des aciers au nickel et application de ces aciers à la fabrication des canons, des plaques de blindage et cuirassements quelconques, canons de fusils, projectiles, matériel de guerre en général, tôles, barres, etc.|gdate=1888-10-13|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ix3riSMkN-sC&pg=RA7-PA32}}</ref> on nickel steel based on Jean Werth's research<ref>{{Cite book |last=D'Angio |first=Agnès |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xZW0AAAAIAAJ&q=acier+nickel+Werth+1888 |title=Schneider et Cie et la naissance de l'ingénierie: des pratiques internes à l'aventure internationale 1836-1949 |date=2000 |publisher=CNRS éditions |isbn=978-2-271-05826-3 |pages=58 |language=fr}}</ref>) to produce [[maraging steel]] and some [[low-alloy steel]]s. Other technological uses include [[Invar]] and [[Mu-metal]].
==Alloy summary==
The following table is an overview of different iron–nickel alloys. Naturally occurring [[alloy]]s are a type of [[mineral]] and called [[Native element minerals|native elements]] or [[native metal]]s. Some of the entries have more than one crystal structure (e.g. [[meteoric iron]] is a mixture of two crystal structures).
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
! Name !! Description !! Chemical formula / {{nobr|Weight percent [[nickel]]}}
|-
| [[Antitaenite]] || An [[intermetallic compound]] found in [[meteorite]]s<ref name=Mindat-6804-Antitaenite/> || Fe{{sub|3}}Ni
|-
| [[Awaruite]] || A [[native metal|native]] [[intermetallic compound]] found in [[serpentinite]]s and [[meteorite]]s || Ni{{sub|2}}Fe to Ni{{sub|3}}Fe
|-
| [[Earth's outer core|Earth's core]] || [[Earth's outer core|Earth's core]] is composed of an iron–nickel alloy<ref name=Lin-2002/> || about 5.5% [[nickel|Ni]]
|-
| [[Elinvar]] || A [[metallurgy|manufactured]] alloy whose elasticity does not change with temperature; 5% [[chromium|Cr]] || 36% [[nickel|Ni]]
|-
| [[Invar]] || A  steel [[metallurgy|manufactured]] to have a very low thermal expansion || 36% [[nickel|Ni]]
|-
| [[Kamacite]] || A [[native metal]] found in [[meteoric iron]] || Fe{{sub|[0.9]}}Ni{{sub|[0.1]}}
|-
| [[Maraging steel]] || A strong, malleable variant of [[steel]] || 15–25% [[nickel|Ni]]
|-
| [[Meteoric iron]] || A [[native metal|native combination]] of mostly [[kamacite]] and [[taenite]], and minor amounts of [[tetrataenite]], [[antitaenite]], and [[awaruite]] || 5–30% [[nickel|Ni]]
|-
| [[Mu-metal]] || An alloy [[metallurgy|manufactured]] to be highly permeable to [[magnetism]] || 77% [[nickel|Ni]]
|-
| [[Planetary core]] || [[Planet]]s, [[Natural satellite|moon]]s, and [[planetesimal]]s can have [[Planetary core|cores]] of various iron–nickel alloys || various
|-
| [[Stainless steel]] || A variant of [[steel]] [[metallurgy|manufactured]] to be corrosion-resistant, with [[chromium|Cr]] as well as [[nickel|Ni]] || 4–8% [[nickel|Ni]]
|-
| [[Taenite]] || A [[native metal]] found in [[meteorite]]s || NiFe
|-
| [[Telluric iron]] || A [[native metal]] found on [[Earth]] (distinct from [[Meteoric iron|extraterrestrial irons]]) || 0.05%–4% [[nickel|Ni]]
|-
| [[Tetrataenite]] || A [[native metal]] found in [[Meteoric iron|meteorites]] || FeNi
|}
==See also==
{{wiktionary|nife}}
* [[Iron–nickel clusters]]
* [[KREEP]]
* [[Sial]]
* [[Sima (geology)|Sima]]
==References==
{{reflist|25em|refs=
<ref name=Johnson-2019>
{{cite journal
|last=Johnson |first=Jennifer A.
|year=2019
|title=Populating the periodic table: Nucleosynthesis of the elements
|journal=Science
|volume=363 |issue=6426 |pages=474–478
|pmid=30705182 |s2cid=59565697
|doi=10.1126/science.aau9540
|bibcode=2019Sci...363..474J
|doi-access=free
}}
</ref>
<ref name=Lin-2002>
{{cite journal
|last=Lin |first=Jung-Fu
|date=1 January 2002
|title=Iron-Nickel alloy in the Earth's core
|journal=Geophysical Research Letters
|volume=29 |issue=10 |pages=109‑1 – 109‑3
|doi=10.1029/2002GL015089 |bibcode = 2002GeoRL..29.1471L
|s2cid=21678130
|doi-access=free
}}
</ref>
<ref name=Mason-1971>
{{cite book
|last=Mason |first=Brian Harold
|year=1971
|title=Handbook of Elemental Abundances in Meteorites
|place=New York, NY
|publisher=Gordon and Breach
|isbn=0-677-14950-6
}}
</ref>
<ref name=Mindat-6804-Antitaenite>
{{cite web
|title=Antitaenite
|website=MinDat
|place=Keswick, VA
|publisher=[[Hudson Institute of Mineralogy]]
|url=http://www.mindat.org/min-6804.html
|access-date=2021-12-31
}}
</ref>
<ref name=Pardo-deLacey-etal-2006>
{{cite journal
|last1=Pardo     |first1=A.        |last2=de Lacey |first2=A.L.
|last3=Fernández |first3=V.M.      |last4=Fan      |first4=H.J.
|last5=Fan       |first5=Y.        |last6=Hall     |first6=M.B.
|year=2006
|title=Density functional study of the catalytic cycle of nickel-iron NiFe hydrogenases and the involvement of high-spin nickel(II)
|journal=Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry
|volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=286–306
|doi=10.1007/s00775-005-0076-3
|s2cid=37683443 |pmid=16511689
}}
</ref>
<ref name=Wannier-1980>
{{cite journal
|last=Wannier |first=P.G.
|year=1980
|title=Nuclear abundances and evolution of the interstellar medium
|journal=Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics
|volume=18 |pages=399–437
|bibcode=1980ARA&A..18..399W |doi=10.1146/annurev.aa.18.090180.002151
}}
</ref>
}} <!-- end "refs=" -->
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iron-nickel alloy}}
[[Category:Petrology]]
[[Category:Structure of the Earth]]
[[Category:Ferrous alloys]]
[[Category:Meteorites]]