Nickel silver is a versatile material that is used by everyone from the hobbyist to industry. Comprised of an alloy, nickel silver is one of the most misunderstood metals on the market today. Here are some of the common characteristics of nickel silver and how it is commonly used in the manufacturing environment today:
- Nickel silver is not silver at all. While most people believe that nickel silver contains silver and other metals, that simply is not correct. Nickel silver is comprised of an alloy that contains nickel, zinc and copper. The grades of the metal depend on the smelting process, which can affect the percentages of the metals included in the formula. These alloys usually contain up to 25% nickel and up to 40% zinc, with the rest of the formula being rounded out by copper.
- Nickel silver is called that because of the luster. Nickel silver, also called German silver, is considered to be silver because of the finish of the metal. Most nickel silver materials are bright and shiny, which causes them to look much like silver.
- Nickel silver is widely used.From cutlery manufacturing to jewelry and giftware, nickel silver is used in the consumer market. In industry, this material is manufactured into spring contacts for telecommunications.
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