Nichrome

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Nichrome

Nichrome is a brand name for a nickel-chromium resistance wire, a non-magnetic alloy

Alloy

An alloy is a partial or complete solid solution of one or more chemical element in a metallic matrix. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may be homogeneous in distribution depending on thermal history....
of nickel

Nickel

Nickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge....
and chromium

Chromium

Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is a steely-gray, Lustre , hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point....
. A common alloy is 80% nickel and 20% chromium, but there are many others to accommodate various applications. It is silvery-grey in colour, is corrosion resistant, and has a high melting point

Melting point

The melting point of a solid is the temperature range at which it changes states of matter from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase exist in equilibrium....
of about 1400 °C

Celsius

Celsius is a temperature scale that is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death....
. Due to its relatively high resistivity

Resistivity

Electrical resistivity is a measure of how strongly a material opposes the flow of electric current. A low resistivity indicates a material that readily allows the movement of electrical charge....
and resistance to oxidation at high temperatures, it is widely used in heating element

Heating element

A heating element converts electricity into heat through the process of Joule heating. Electric current through the element encounters electrical resistance, resulting in heating of the element....
s, such as in hair dryers, electric oven

Oven

An oven is an enclosed compartment for heating, baking or drying. It is most commonly used in cooking and pottery. Ovens used in pottery are also known as kilns....
s and toaster

Toaster

A toaster is a small electric kitchen appliance designed to toast multiple types of bread products. A typical modern two-slice toaster draws anywhere between 600 and 1200 Watt and makes toast in 1 to 3 minutes....
s.

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Encyclopedia

Nichrome is a brand name for a nickel-chromium resistance wire, a non-magnetic alloy

Alloy

Nickel

Nickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge....
and chromium

Chromium

Melting point

Celsius

Resistivity

Heating element

Oven

An oven is an enclosed compartment for heating, baking or drying. It is most commonly used in cooking and pottery. Ovens used in pottery are also known as kilns....
s and toaster

Toaster

Electrical resistance

The electrical resistance of an object is a measure of its opposition to the passage of a steady electrical current. An object of uniform cross section will have a resistance proportional to its length and inversely proportional to its cross-sectional area, and proportional to the resistivity of the material....
, and current passed through to produce heat.

Nichrome is used in the explosives and fireworks

Fireworks

A firework is classified as a low explosive material pyrotechnics device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display....
industry as a bridgewire

Bridgewire

A bridgewire, bridge wire, or hot bridge wire is a relatively thin resistance wire used to set off a pyrotechnic composition serving as pyrotechnic initiator....
in reliable electric ignition system, such as electric match

Electric match

An electric match is a device that uses an externally applied electric current to ignite a combustible compound....
es and model rocket

Model rocket

A Model rocket is a small rocket capable of being launched by anybody, to generally low altitudes and Model_rocket#Recovery_methods by a variety of means....
igniters.

Nichrome wire is commonly used in ceramics as an internal support structure to help some elements of clay

Clay

Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained minerals, which show plasticity through a variable range of water content, and which can be hardened when dried and/or fired....
sculptures hold their shape while they are still soft. Nichrome wire is used because of its ability to withstand the high temperatures that occur when a clay work is fired in a kiln

Kiln

Kilns are thermally insulated chambers, or ovens, in which controlled temperature regimes are produced. They are used to harden, burn or dry materials....
.

The alloy

Alloy

Nickel

Nickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge....
content. Distributor pricing is typically indexed to commodity market prices for nickel.

Other areas of usage include motorcycle silencer

Muffler

A muffler is a device for reducing the amount of noise emitted by a machine. On internal combustion engines, the engine exhaust gas blows out through the muffler....
s, and in certain microbiological lab apparatus.

Table of properties for Nichrome

The properties of Nichrome vary depending on its alloy. Figures given are representative of typical material and are accurate to expressed significant figures. Any variations are due to different percentages of nickel or chromium.

Nichrome

Table of properties for Nichrome

See also

External links