Nickel is white lustrous metal. It has high mechanical strength, is fairly hard and at room temperatures is ferro-magnetic. It oxidizes only with difficulty even when heated in air; polished surfaces will gradually corrode on atmospheric exposure. Nickel is slowly soluble in hydrochloric and also in dilute sulphuric acid. Dilute nitric acid rapidly attacks nickel, but immersion in concentrated sulphuric acid renders the surface of the nickel ‘passive’, in which state it is not readily attacked. Nickel may be deposited as a bright , semi-bright or dull coating. For decorative finishes the presence of excessive stress, brittleness or of low ductility could result in premature failure of the coating.

Nickel is the most widely used electroplated deposit and its largest single application is as a decorative finish in which the nickel deposit is followed by bright chromium. This finish , generally known as ‘bright chromium plate’ provides a combination of protection against corrosion, resistance to wear, tolerance of high temperatures. These decorative applications electroplated and electrolessnickel are also widely used in industry.