Nickel-Zinc: The Elements, the Environment and You

Nickel and zinc are among the Earth's most abundant elements, found virtually everywhere in our daily lives. These natural elements are found in the earth, in the food you eat and in a wide variety of products. Both elements are readily recyclable and many products on the market today come from these recycled supplies.

About Nickel

Nickel has many uses from construction materials to food preparation, but its many favorable characteristics make it an excellent choice in the use of high powered rechargeable batteries. For more information on nickel, its many uses and its metallurgical properties, visit the Nickel Institute.

Zinc Facts

Zinc's unique properties allow it to be used in an array of products from cosmetics, to baby powder, to precision parts for automobiles, airplanes and appliances. The International Zinc Association notes that one of the most useful characteristics of zinc is its resistance to atmospheric corrosion. The ranking of zinc in the electromotive series of metals (an indication of a metal's tendency to oxidize, or give up electrons) positioned below magnesium and aluminum but above cadmium, iron, nickel and hydrogen, make it an exceptional material to use in conjunction with nickel when designing a battery. The electronegative characteristics of zinc have made it a popular choice in a variety of primary (single use) battery technologies for many years.

Recyclability

More than 6.5 million metric tons of zinc slab, oxides, powders and dusts are consumed each year in the Western World, two million of which come from recycled zinc. In the United States, the Bureau of Mines estimates that with enhanced recovery, recycled zinc will ultimately account for more than 40% of the total amount of zinc used

Meanwhile, nickel's resistance to corrosion means that when most nickel-containing products are eventually discarded, they are still intact and easily identifiable (e.g., a kitchen sink made of stainless steel). This aids in the collection and sorting of nickel-containing products for recycling.

Sustainability

While abundant, both nickel and zinc are finite resources. However, their innate characteristics and recyclability assure environmentally sensitive availability for long-term development. Unlike many other materials nickel and zinc can be recycled again and again while maintaining their physical and chemical properties. There remains the same amount of each element at the end of a particular product cycle as at the beginning.