Steelmaking requires two primary metals: iron and nickel. Millions of tons of nickel are mined every year, principally in Asia, and even that portion that doesn’t go directly toward steelmaking ends up being used for a very wide variety of different uses.

Despite several advantages, the metal will never take over iron’s crown because its price has always been some twenty times higher. It also happens to be much harder, and thus more difficult to work with. Its mining also poses significant health risks and is a serious environmental pollutant which also considerably limits its economic growth.