C O BA LT F AC T S

Introduction:

Many readers of this fact sheet will be surprised to learn
the countless ways this metal is essential to our daily lives
- from cobalt’s environmental applications to its applica-
tions in health, communications, common household
items, travel and national defense. The relationship of this
essential metal to our daily lives is simple - modern soci-
ety without cobalt cannot function!
Cobalt is also considered a strategic metal by the US gov-
ernment. A strategic material is a commodity whose lack
of availability during a national emergency would seriously
affect the economic, industrial, and defensive capability of
the US. The US is almost completely import dependent for
its supplies of cobalt, and imports about 20% of world pro-
duction. There is no current domestic primary production
of cobalt. The US must rely on foreign sources for all of its
supply. The largest known deposit of cobalt in the US is
near Salmon, ID.
Most of the cobalt consumed in the world originates in the
West African countries of Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) and Zambia, and from nickel production in Russia,
China, Canada, Cuba and Australia. A significant amount
of world production comes from DRC, Zambia and Russia
where free markets are an unknown or recent experience.
In Cuba, a trade embargo still exists with the US.
Environmental Uses Include
 Hybrid electric vehicle batteries
 Fuel cell technologies
 Solar panel and wind turbine generators
 Catalyst in de-sulfurizing crude oil and as a catalyst in
hydrogenation, oxidation, reduction, and synthesis of hy-
drocarbons
 Solar energy conversion
 Coal to liquid technology
 Gas to liquid technology (GTL) – The application of this
technology is expected to result in a major new demand
for cobalt. GTL has the potential to convert enough
“stranded” natural gas reserves into ultra-low emission
liquid petroleum fuels to supply the world’s energy needs.
This technology will help eliminate the need for flaring
natural gas in association with oil production, allowing
development and production from wells previously closed
due to inability to dispose of stranded natural gas.

Applications of Cobalt:

Super alloys

Cobalt is an essential alloying element in high temperature Life Science

super alloys used for casting airfoils and structural parts in
jet turbine engines. Cobalt-base alloys have good oxida- Cobalt is an essential element in human and animal metabo-
tion resistance, a relative high tolerance for thermal fa- lisms. Pernicious anemia, a fatal inability to retain cobalt in
tigue, and are readily repairable. Typically a high by-pass, humans, is treated by vitamin therapy (Vitamin B12). Cobalt
turbofan jet engine (40,000 lb. thrust class) requires 110 to soil dressings or implants are used to supplement cobalt defi-
132 pounds of cient soils to prevent “wasting disease” in grazing animals.
cobalt in the finished engine. Attempts to substitute other
materials for cobalt in such critical applications as com-
mercial jet engines such as ceramic matrix composites
has not been successful and will likely not occur in the
future.

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 C O BA LT F AC T S ( CONT.)

Binder Material Wear resistant alloys ( “the hard facing industry”)

COBALT USES
Cobalt is preferred for development of ce- INCLUDE: These are the Stellite alloys still widely used to
mented carbides and diamond matrix mate- prolong the life of cast components, welding
rials, i.e.: metal cutting tools and diamond ENVIRONMENTAL wires, rods and electrodes, and hard facing pow-
tools. Cobalt is the binder metal of choice in gas to liquids ders. These alloys are used in the construction,
the hard metal/diamond tool industry. It is coal to liquids automotive, drilling, petrochemical, aerospace,
oil desulfurization food, pharmaceutical, power generation and plas-
also used in snowplow blades, asphalt mill-
solar panels tic industries.
ing, grader & scarifier blades etc.
hybrid vehicles
batteries & fuel cells
Re-usable energy storage systems Magnets
INDUSTRIAL
All rechargeable batteries have this fact in drill bits A typical American household contains an aver-
common: cobalt improves the properties of ball bearinqs age of 40 permanent magnets. The magnet in-
the batteries or is an essential part of the paints & inks dustry will always be a considerable user of co-
system whether they are nickel cadmium, radial tires balt. Permanent magnet applications are found in
nickel metal hydride or lithium ion systems. stove elements loudspeakers, hearing aids, compasses, cathode
With hybrid electric vehicles gaining strong cutting steels ray focusing, traveling wave tube fields, oil filters,
support from manufacturers and consumers, microphones, galvanometers, MRI systems, mu-
the use of cobalt in the rechargeable sector HI TECH sical instrument microphones, ABS systems,
alone could lead to deficits in supply. hard disk drives speedometers, tachometers, watt-hour meters,
cell phones telephone ringers, voltage regulators, generators,
Thermal spray coatings memory chips alternators, magnetic separators, motors, preci-
satellites sion scales and automotive airbag systems.
These are used for protection against wear, PDA’s
RFID tags Rigid magnetic disk production for computers
corrosion, oxidation, thermal fatigue and
thermal shock, electrical conduction & insu- consumes the greatest amount of cobalt in the
MEDICAL
lation, surface roughness control and pump thin film electronics industry. Although cobalt will
feed supplements
sealing. continue to be utilized, the amount is expected to
prosthetics
vitamin B12 decrease due to decrease in disk size and film
Orthopedics food preservation thickness. Cobalt is an important addition to the
basic ferric oxide recording layer on some video-
There are three groups of metals most com- STRATEGIC tapes, and recording on some computer memory
monly used in orthopedic implants: cobalt jet engines files.
alloys, titanium alloys and stainless steels. turbine blades The Samarium-Cobalt (rare earth) magnet has
Of importance in selection of materials for propulsion systems made it possible for the US to have the best per-
these uses are corrosion forming radar, communication
resistance, biocompatibility, and electronic countermeasure
Other
static and fatigue mechani- Organics Superalloy systems in the world. These
4%
cal strength, structural integ- Pigments 6% 19% units are used in most military
rity, abrasion and wear re- 10% aircraft, satellites, missiles,
sistance. About 70% of hip tanks, submarines and other
replacements utilize Cobalt- ships.
Catalysts Hardmetal
Chrome femoral stems. The
9% 14%
estimated cobalt usage for
hip replacements in 1996
was 150,000 pounds. This
has greatly increased during The information in this fact
sheet has been compiled
the last nine years with an
Magnets from the Cobalt Develop-
increasingly active but age- ment Institute International
Batteries 7%
ing population in the devel- Conference Proceedings on
27% HS Steel
oped world. 4% the Cobalt Industry and
Global Consumption by Sector other sources.

For further information, please contact questions@idahocobalt.com

Formation Capital Corporation, U.S., 812 Shoup St., Salmon, ID 83467 (208) 756-4578

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