Nickel alloys are widely used in the medical field due to the following characteristics, whether they are used in surgical instruments, implants, hospital equipment, or the upstream of the supply chain of pharmaceutical processing equipment. Their effectiveness has a long history. 

Typical characteristics of nickel-containing materials are as follows:

● Safe, hygienic and easy to clean

● Excellent corrosion resistance to aggressive disinfection chemicals

● Excellent formability

● Autoclavable

● Excellent surface finish of medical tools

● Easy to solder

● Non-magnetic, will not interfere with sensitive electronic equipment

● Able to withstand low temperatures

● Very low moisture absorption, high surface cleanliness

Surgical materials, tools and equipment must be easily disinfected and must not pose a threat to human health. Surgical cutting instruments are very hard and tough, and need to have excellent wear resistance and can withstand high stress load cycles. In addition, it also has excellent corrosion resistance required for contact with the human body. Therefore, nickel-containing alloys are widely used to make surgical tools.

Innovative nickel-containing special stainless steel is essential for the complex precision instruments required for minimally invasive surgery. Special stainless steel grades specially developed to meet medical needs can be used to make implantable medical devices, such as stents or pacemakers, in order to replace or support normal biological functions. Because these devices are used inside the human body, they must Non-toxic and biocompatible. Nickel alloys have a long history of use in implants and have made important contributions to the quality of life of millions of people, such as orthopedic implants such as knee joints, hip joints and other joint replacements.Nickel also provides other valuable properties with important clinical applications. For example, Nitinol (Nitinol) shape memory alloy has a variety of properties, making it an ideal choice for self-expanding stents for the treatment of vascular diseases.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide unparalleled imaging of soft tissues such as the brain, muscles, heart, and tumors without requiring the patient to receive ionizing radiation. At the core of every MRI system is a powerful magnet, which relies on the nickel-containing stainless steel used for its construction. In addition, its non-magnetic properties make it an ideal structural material for many life-saving technologies. It is not only the corrosion resistance of nickel-containing alloys that makes it essential for the medical environment. The ability to withstand ultra-low temperature (-269°C) makes it an indispensable container for liquid nitrogen used to remove abnormal tissues in cryosurgery.

Due to the attractive combination of good mechanical properties, chemical resistance and biocompatibility, nickel-based alloys also have a wide range of applications in the fields of dentistry and implantology. Nickel-chromium and nickel-titanium alloys are the most popular representatives of these two branches of medicine.

Nickel-containing materials and products play an important role in advancing the manufacturing of advanced drugs, medical materials and equipment in global healthcare. The application of many key nickel alloys has made outstanding contributions to optimizing medical solutions and extending life.