---
title: "Nickel — density, melting point and properties"
description: "Nickel has a density of 8,908 kg/m³. Melting point, strength, conductivity, what it is used for, and whether it floats, rusts or is magnetic."
url: https://atoneplace.net/material/nickel/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Nickel

**Density of nickel: 8,908 kg/m³**

8.91 g/cm³ · 556.1 lb/ft³

About two thirds of world nickel goes into stainless steel, where it is what makes 304 and 316 non-magnetic and formable; the cheaper magnetic stainless grades are the ones with the nickel left out. It stays strong at temperatures that soften steel, which is why jet engine hot sections are nickel superalloys rather than steel. Nickel is also the most common cause of metal contact allergy, which is why EU rules cap its release from jewellery.

## Properties

- **Density:** 8,908 kg/m³ — 8.91 g/cm³
- **Melting point:** 1,455 °C
- **Tensile strength:** 350–550 MPa
- **Young's modulus:** 200 GPa
- **Thermal conductivity:** 90.9 W/(m·K)
- **Thermal expansion:** 13.4 µm/(m·K)
- **Floats in water:** No
- **Magnetic:** Yes

## What it is used for

- Alloying element in stainless steel
- Superalloys for turbine blades
- Rechargeable battery cathodes
- Electroplating and coinage

## How it compares

*Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything with a shorter bar than water floats in it.*

- air: 1.2 kg/m³
- expanded polystyrene foam: 20 kg/m³
- rigid polyurethane foam: 40 kg/m³
- Water — the float line: 1,000 kg/m³
- nickel: 8,908 kg/m³
- tungsten: 19,250 kg/m³
- gold: 19,300 kg/m³
- platinum: 21,450 kg/m³

*Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything below that floats.*

| Material | Density | Relative to water |
| --- | --- | --- |
| rigid polyurethane foam | 40 kg/m³ | 0.04× |
| expanded polystyrene foam | 20 kg/m³ | 0.02× |
| air | 1.2 kg/m³ | 0.00× |
| nickel ← | 8,908 kg/m³ | 8.91× |
| platinum | 21,450 kg/m³ | 21.45× |
| gold | 19,300 kg/m³ | 19.30× |
| tungsten | 19,250 kg/m³ | 19.25× |

## Does it rust?

Nickel does not rust — rust is iron oxide specifically — but it does corrode, forming its own oxide or salts over time.

## Is it magnetic?

Iron, nickel and cobalt are the three common ferromagnetic elements, and anything based mostly on them is strongly attracted to a magnet.

## Common questions

### What is the density of nickel?

8,908 kg/m³, or 8.91 g/cm³.

### Does nickel float?

No. At 8,908 kg/m³ it is denser than water.

### Is nickel magnetic?

Iron, nickel and cobalt are the three common ferromagnetic elements, and anything based mostly on them is strongly attracted to a magnet.

## Related pages

- [Does nickel float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/nickel/)
- [Aluminum](https://atoneplace.net/material/aluminum/)
- [Copper](https://atoneplace.net/material/copper/)
- [Gold](https://atoneplace.net/material/gold/)
- [Titanium](https://atoneplace.net/material/titanium/)
- [Iron](https://atoneplace.net/material/iron/)
- [Lead](https://atoneplace.net/material/lead/)
- [Tungsten](https://atoneplace.net/material/tungsten/)
- [Silver](https://atoneplace.net/material/silver/)

## Sources

- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]