Sole extraction of cobalt comes from Moroccan and some Canadian arsenide ores. It is primarily found in ores such as sulfides with around 55% of global production comes from nickel ores. Because of this it is almost always a by-product of the mining of these base metals (predominantly nickel and copper mining). Instead, it is combined with other elements such as nickel, copper, and iron and only accounts for 0.0029% of the earth's crust. Its pure form, however, does not naturally exist on earth. ProductionĬobalt is not considered a rare metal as it ranks 32nd in global abundance. It reacts slowly to mineral acids such as HCl, HNO 3, and H 2SO 4 and in moist air, but at a slower rate. It is a hard, silver to bluish-gray metal with a metallic luster. CharacteristicsĬobalt is ferromagnetic element and has the highest Curie point of the three common ferromagnetic elements (iron and nickel being the other two). Around World War 1, cobalt's metallic uses were studied and patented leading to a large increase in is use from superalloys to magnets. It took another 50 years for the element to be verified. Even though used in antiquity as a blue pigment for glass and porcelain, this was the first time it was isolated and identified as an element. Swedish chemist Georg Brandt credited with first isolating and discovering it in 1735. Later on it was found out that the cobalt complicated the refining process. When problems arose in regards to separation and smelting, the "kobolds" were blamed. At that time, silver was the main metal of interest for mining in these mountains. Its name comes from the word kobelt (medieval German) which was given to gnomes, or underworld spirits, that were believed to be living in the Schneeberg Mountains of present day Germany. Aside from applying a blue hue to ceramics cobalt was used to give glass a similar color as well. Evidence of this has been found in Egypt and in Persian. The use of cobalt-containing ores in pigments has been seen in artifacts dating back over 2600 years ago. This demand coupled with concerns about supply have pushed the LME and some companies to ensure the resource is sourced ethically. With the increasing demand for electric vehicles, there is a growing need for lithium-ion batteries. Radioactive isotope cobalt-60 is synthetically created in nuclear reactors It is used as a radioactive tracer as well as for producing beams of high-energy gamma rays to treat cancer using external beam radiotherapy machines. It is used in a number of items but primarily in alloys and superalloys. Its name comes from kobelt or kobold (German for gnome or spirit). Cobalt was first isolated in 1735 by Georg Brandt. Used throughout antiquity as blue coloring for pigment, it was used to paint ceramics and glass. It is a hard with a silver to bluish-gray color. It is a transition metal and is ferromagnetic. Aside from some notable spikes it tends to trade around $15 USD per pound.Ĭobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27.
Cobalt is most commonly used in alloys and batteries.
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