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Nichrome Heating Wire
Nichrome is basically a name given to nickel-chromium resistance wires. It is a non-magnetic alloy which consists of 80 percent nickel and 20 percent by weight, and is widely used in heating elements because of its relatively high resistivity. Out of the constituents of nichrome, nickel is an element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28, whereas, chromium is an element with the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. Nickel is generally a silvery-white lustrous metal and chromium a steely-gray and hard metal. Nichrome, the alloy, is silvery-gray in color, resistant towards corrosion and has a high melting point.
Uses of Nichrome Nichrome is used in the explosives and fireworks industry, ceramic making and as a heating element. The alloy is very useful in the process of ceramic making, as it can withstand the high temperatures that occur when a clay work is fired in a kiln. Nichrome is also used in motorcycle silencers and in certain microbiological lab apparatus. The chromium present in nichrome wire oxidizes on being heated and forms a protective layer of chromium oxide. The alloy is expensive because of its high nickel content. Nichrome is a very useful alloy because of its properties and has found application in many instruments which require high resistivity of the constituent material.