Nickel Cathode
A high-purity refined nickel product used directly in stainless steel production or as feedstock for battery-grade nickel chemicals.
Covered in 2 MetalsCost.com News Intelligence articles, most recently on October 6, 2026.
Overview
Nickel cathode is Class 1 refined nickel — metal purified to at least 99.8% Ni and cast or grown into large plates during electrorefining, then either shipped whole as "full plate" or mechanically cut into smaller "cut cathode" pieces for easier handling and melting. It's the highest-purity, LME-deliverable form of primary nickel, distinct from lower-purity intermediate products like nickel pig iron or ferronickel.
Who Consumes It
Stainless steel producers are the largest buyers, melting cathode directly into 300-series alloys where high purity and low impurity levels matter. Superalloy and specialty alloy makers use it for the same reason. A growing share is instead dissolved chemically into nickel sulfate, the battery-grade feedstock for EV cathode precursors, making cathode nickel one of the few primary nickel forms flexible enough to serve both the steel industry and the battery supply chain.
Sources
- LME nickel cathode purity specification — LME Nickel contract specifications (2024)
Coverage
Westwin Elements Plans a $502 Million Class 1 Nickel Refinery in Mississippi
Westwin Elements will invest $502 million over five years to build a Class 1 nickel refinery in Natchez, Mississippi. The first phase is designed to produce 18,000 tonnes of high-purity nickel a year, with commissioning targeted for 2029.
Nickel Industries' Hengjaya Mine Earnings Jump 58% as New Nickel-Cobalt Plant Starts Production
Nickel Industries' Hengjaya Mine posted a record US$45.7 million quarterly profit, up 58%, while its new Excelsior Nickel Cobalt plant produced its first battery-grade nickel-cobalt output in July 2026.
