Commercially pure or low-alloy nickel has characteristics that are useful in several fields, notably chemical processing and electronics. Nickel is highly resistant to various reducing chemicals and is unexcelled in resistance to caustic alkalies. Compared with nickel alloys, commercially pure nickel has high electrical and thermal conductivity. It also has a high Curie temperature and good magnetostrictive properties. Annealed nickel has a low hardness and good ductility and malleability. Those attributes, combined with good weldability, make the metal highly fabricable. Nickel has a relatively low work-hardening rate, but it can be cold worked to moderately high strength levels while maintaining ductility.

Nickel 200 (UNS N02200/W.Nr. 2.4060 & 2.4066) is commercially pure (99.6%) wrought nickel. It has good mechanical properties and excellent resistance to many corrosive environments. Other useful features of the alloy are its magnetic and magnetostrictive properties, high thermal and electrical conductivities, low gas content and low vapor pressure.

The corrosion resistance of Nickel 200 makes it particularly useful for maintaining product purity in the handling of foods, synthetic fibers, and caustic alkalies; and also in structural applications where resistance to corrosion is a prime consideration.

Other applications include chemical shipping drums, electrical and electronic parts, aerospace and missile components.