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Material World

Chromium vs Nickel

Chromium and Nickel are genuine alternatives to one another — a choice somebody actually makes — and differ on 5 measured properties, density most clearly.

Chromium vs Nickel

Chromium

Cr

The element that makes stainless steel stainless, by growing an oxide layer thin enough to be invisible.

Nickel

Ni

The element that makes steel tough at low temperature and stainless at any temperature.

Property comparison of Chromium and Nickel
PropertyChromiumNickel
Atomic number2428 higher
Density7.14 g/cm³8.9 g/cm³ higher
Electrical conductivity

Only one of the two has a figure we can stand behind, so there is nothing to compare.

Not known14.3 MS/m
Melting point1907 °C higher1455 °C
Mohs hardness

Mohs hardness is an ordinal scale: values can be ranked, but differences and ratios between them are not meaningful.

about 8.5 higherabout 4
Molar mass51.9961 g/mol58.6934 g/mol higher

Other comparisons