Nickel is one of the most abundant elements on earth. It is hard, yet malleable, magnetic at room temperature, and a relatively good conductor of electricity and heat. Most notably, nickel is highly corrosion resistant, which provides for a variety of uses by industry. However, scientists have recently discovered that nickel not only corrodes, but does so in a way that scientists least expected.

However, a surprising discovery by a team of researchers at Texas A&M University has found that nickel not only corrodes, but does so in a way that scientists least expected.

The team was led by Dr. Michael Demkowicz, associate professor and graduate director in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and director of the Center for Research Excellence on Dynamically Deformed Solids at Texas A&M University.

Their work was published in the American Physical Society’s Physical Review Materials journal in an article titled «Preferential Corrosion of Coherent Twin Boundaries in Pure Nickel Under Cathodic Charging.»

A surprising observation

Like a finished jigsaw puzzle, materials are made of interlocking pieces. Microscopically, nickel is made of aggregates of small, tightly packed crystals or grains.

Story Source: Materials provided by Texas A&M University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.