Nickel Institute celebrates stainless steel centenary in Beijing
Stainless steel has been an important part of numerous industries over the past 100 years. — Photo courtesy the Nickel Institute
As part of the Centenary of Stainless Steel celebrations, the Nickel Institute hosted an event in Beijing called Nickel and Stainless Steel—Towards the Next 100 Years. This event showed representatives from the metal industries, as well as policy-makers and researchers, how nickel and the Nickel Institute are key partners in the success of stainless steel.
Stainless steel was one of the major discoveries of the 20th century. Contributing to our safety and quality of life, this material is an integral element in our daily lives. Not only is nickel a crucial ingredient in stainless steel, but the Nickel Institute has worked for decades to promote stainless steel and develop the markets for its wide ranging applications. The Nickel Institute provides end users with information and training to enable them to fully understand the benefits stainless steel can bring to applications like food, beverage and drinking water production, architecture, transport, chemical and energy production, and healthcare.
In China where the Nickel and Stainless Steel—Towards the Next 100 Years event was held, demand for stainless steel is still growing. Part of the Nickel Institute’s role is to work with its partners across the value chain to demonstrate the sustainability and recyclability of stainless steel. Their aim is to inform both industry and policy-makers, to improve the understanding of the sustainability profile of stainless steel and to reverse policy trends towards regulation based solely on hazard.
Dr. Kevin Bradley, Nickel Institute president, said, “Despite a solid 100-year history, stainless steel is very much a material for the future. We are working tirelessly with our partners to highlight stainless steel’s contribution to society and to sustainability. By working together across the value chain, we are committed to addressing any barriers which could prevent stainless steel from achieving its full potential in the next hundred years.”
The Nickel Institute is a non-profit organization that represents the interests of 28 companies, which together produce more than 75 per cent of the world’s annual nickel output. They promote on behalf of their members the production, use and reuse (through recycling) of nickel in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. The Nickel Institute was established in 2004, following the merger of the Nickel Development Institute (NiDI) and the Nickel Producers Environmental Research Association (NiPERA). For more information, see www.nickelinstitute.org.
