Summary: Nickel is a very abundant natural element. Pure nickel is a hard, silvery-white metal. Nickel can be combined with other metals, such as iron, copper, chromium, and zinc, to form alloys.
A study of the history of aluminum foil indicates that on April 2, 1889, Charles Martin Hall got a patent for producing the metal. The first rolling plant came out in 1910, called Dr. Lauber, Neher, Cie and Emmishofen. This was in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland. Early History and Origin. Before aluminum foil came out, tin foil was used for packing foods and other products. The metal was stiff and could leave an adverse effect on the food. It was in 1825 that aluminum was discovered, courtesy of Hans Christian Oersted. The Danish chemist was the first to show actual samples of the foil.
Aluminium was first isolated by Hans Christian Oersted in 1825 who reacted aluminium chloride (AlCl 3) with potassium amalgam (an alloy of potassium and mercury). Heating the resulting aluminium amalgam under reduced pressure caused the mercury to boil away leaving an impure sample of aluminium metal.