If you’re designing battery packs – here’s why pure Nickel is worth the investment in demanding battery applications.
Nickel is a popular choice for battery packs, especially in lithium-ion systems, because it offers a practical combination of electrical performance, weldability, and corrosion resistance. But its benefits go even further. Nickel also contributes to higher energy density and better overall battery performance.
Here’s a clear breakdown of why manufacturers of demanding battery pack applications prefer pure Nickel:
1. High Energy Density
Nickel plays a key role in chemistries like Nickel Cobalt Aluminium (NCA) and Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC), which are widely used in electric vehicles and other demanding applications. These chemistries help batteries store more energy in a compact space, making them ideal where weight and size matter.
2. Good Storage Capacity
Nickel allows batteries to hold a significant charge. This translates to longer run times for power tools, extended driving range in EVs, and reliable operation in backup systems and medical devices.
3. Relatively Low Cost
Compared to some other high-performance materials, Nickel offers a cost-effective way to achieve high energy density and storage capacity without compromising durability.
4. Corrosion Resistance
Nickel doesn’t easily oxidize or corrode, even in humid environments or when exposed to electrolyte vapours. This is crucial for battery packs designed to last many years or operate in tough conditions.
5. Weldability
Pure Nickel strips spot weld cleanly to battery terminals and other metal surfaces. Consistent, strong welds are essential for reliable connections in high-volume production, especially with cylindrical cells like 18650s and 21700s.
6. Conductivity
Nickel provides good electrical conductivity. While it’s not as conductive as Copper, it handles the relatively low currents in most battery interconnects efficiently without generating excess heat or voltage drops.
7. Mechanical Strength and Fabrication
Nickel strip is tough enough to resist deformation and cracking during assembly and in-service vibration. It’s also easy to fabricate – slit, cut, and laser-process into precise parts without introducing stress or distortion.
Where Pure Nickel Is Used
Pure Nickel strips are typically chosen for applications where performance, reliability, and long service life are critical. In these cases, the extra cost of pure Nickel over Nickel-plated steel is justified by its superior corrosion resistance and consistent electrical properties.
Pure Nickel strips are usually chosen when you need better conductivity and higher corrosion resistance than Nickel-plated steel can provide. Here are some applications where you’ll see pure Nickel used:
High-Quality Battery Packs
- Electric vehicles (EVs)
- E-bikes and e-scooters
- Power tools
- Energy storage systems When battery packs handle higher currents or must last many years, pure Nickel is the safer choice because it doesn’t corrode over time and keeps resistance low.
Medical Devices
Devices like portable medical equipment and surgical tools often specify pure Nickel to ensure consistent electrical performance and long-term reliability.
Military and Aerospace Batteries
Any application exposed to harsher environments (humidity, temperature swings) or requiring a long service life will often use pure Nickel.
High-Drain Consumer Electronics
High-capacity packs (like those in drones or RC vehicles) that discharge at high current benefit from the lower resistance of pure Nickel.
Custom or Premium Packs
Any custom pack designed for demanding conditions (for example, high-discharge flashlight packs or service drones) often uses pure Nickel to avoid voltage drops and heat buildup.
Why not just use pure nickel everywhere?
Mainly because it’s more expensive. For low-drain or disposable devices, the benefits of pure Nickel don’t justify the added cost. In those cases, Nickel-plated steel is often chosen since it’s more affordable – though it has higher electrical resistance and can corrode if the plating is damaged. For more demanding or long-lasting battery packs, pure Nickel remains the better choice. If you’re designing packs where:
- Consistent conductivity matters
- Corrosion must be minimized over years of cycling
- You expect higher current loads
– pure Nickel is generally the recommended material.
At Datum, we use Nickel 200/201 grade, which conforms to the ASTM B162 standard. It’s commercially pure (99.6% and higher) with good mechanical properties and is resistant to a range of corrosive media.
| Elements | Nickel 200/201 |
|---|---|
| Ni | 99.6 |
| Cu | 0.001 |
| Fe | 0.07 |
| Mn | 0.25 |
| C | 0.01 |
| Si | 0.14 |
| S | 0.001 |
| Mg | 0.02 |
| Ti | 0.002 |
All connectors are cut to order with our specialised slitting, cutting equipment and stamping partners. This enables us to deliver high-quality standard and custom-size tags, connectors and busbars at competitive prices with short lead times. The laser process generates minimal heat, so parts maintain their shape and integrity. Pulsed laser cutting also produces clean, burr-free edges without introducing stress into the material. With advanced laser systems, technical expertise, and decades of experience, we deliver cell connectors that are consistent, dimensionally accurate, and true to specification.
| Properties | Nickel 200/201 |
|---|---|
| Tensile Strength N/mm2 | Max 130 |
| Tensile Strength N/mm2 | Min 50 |
| Electrical Resistivity Ω/m | 9.0 x 10-8 |
If you’d like to discuss your battery connector requirements, get in touch with our team today.