Yes it's nickel and yes it will take a few times before it becomes nothing more than little bits at the bottom of the container. I want thicker anodes. I even tried an 8mm rod and it only lasted 6 days. I cut it in 2 parts and it took 4 days. But I leave my job day and night. I like a good thick slab so I can polish to a higher quality that others can't match. You can cover an object the size of a basketball with a nice thick panel. After that, the coating becomes thin. Thin coating can be polished. I'm not an expert in this field, I'm just a jack of all trades.