Terminology

• Monel: nickel-copper alloy, about 66 percent nickel and 31.5 percent copper
• Nickel silver: copper-nickel-zinc alloy with no silver; also white brass, German silver
• Cupronickel: copper-nickel alloys with 2 to 30 percent nickel
• Inconel, Incoloy, Nimonic, Invar, Permalloy: other named nickel alloy families

History and demand

Invention

• Monel was developed as a cheaper route to nickel silver from the sulphur-laden ores of Sudbury, Ontario

First uses in construction

• 1920s and 1930s: Monel and nickel silver used in New York architecture; nickel silver became popular in the US in the 1920s for decorative grilles, railings, and elevator doors

Sourcing

• About 3.9 million tonnes mined in 2025; Indonesia 2,600,000, Philippines 270,000, Russia 200,000, Canada 140,000, New Caledonia 140,000, China 120,000

Demand trend

• About 68 percent of nickel goes into stainless steel; construction accounts for about 10 percent

Composition and production

Raw materials

• Monel: about 66 percent nickel and 31.5 percent copper
• Nickel silver: copper, nickel, and zinc
• Cupronickel: 90/10 and 70/30 copper-nickel are common

Grades and types

• Monel: nickel-copper; mostly marine use today
• Nickel silver: silvery-white decorative copper alloy
• Cupronickel (90/10, 70/30): superior seawater corrosion resistance
• Inconel, Incoloy, Nimonic: nickel-base high-temperature and corrosion-resistant alloys
• Invar, Elinvar, Permalloy: controlled expansion and magnetic alloys

Properties

Physical

• Density (pure nickel): 8.907 g/cm³ (556 lb/ft³)
• Melting point (pure nickel): 1,455°C (2,651°F)

Durability

• Nickel oxide passivation layer slows further corrosion

Uses in buildings

Building elements

• Guards and Railings: nickel silver and Monel railings
• Architectural Metal Trim: grilles and elevator and door trim
• Metal Wall Panels: Monel cladding on historic buildings

Pros and cons

Pros

• Resists corrosion, including seawater (cupronickel)
• Silvery-white appearance without plating

Cons

• Nickel can cause allergic reactions in contact with skin
• Nickel supply concentrated in Indonesia (about 2.6 of 3.9 million tonnes)

Sustainability

Health

• Nickel-plated objects sometimes cause nickel allergy
• Tolerable upper intake 1 mg/day as soluble nickel salts

Manufacturing and cost

Main manufacturers and suppliers

• Special Metals
• Haynes International
• Carpenter Technology
• ATI

Trade association: Nickel Institute.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Nickel, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel
• Wikipedia: Monel, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monel
• Nickel Institute: Historic Monel, https://nickelinstitute.org/en/blog/2021/march/historic-monel-the-alloy-that-time-forgot/
• Art Deco Society of New York: Art Deco architecture materials, https://www.artdeco.org/art-deco-architecture-materials
• Britannica: Cupronickel, https://britannica.com/technology/cupronickel
• Wikimedia Commons: Nickel electrolytic and 1cm3 cube.jpg, photo by Alchemist-hp (FAL), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nickel_electrolytic_and_1cm3_cube.jpg