Where can cobalt be found in everyday life?
Cobalt is used in many alloys (superalloys for parts in gas turbine aircrafr engines, corrosion resistant alloys, high-speed steels, cemented carbides), in magents and magnetic recording media, as catalysts for the petroleum and chemical industries, as drying agents for paints and inks.
Currently, the traditional areas of consumption and application of cobalt are mainly battery materials, super heat-resistant alloys, tool steels, hard alloys, magnetic materials; cobalt in the form of compounds is mainly used as catalysts, desiccants, reagents, pigments and dyes.
It is however im- portant to note the high levels of lead, cobalt and nickel, 23.58, 12.71 and 18.63 mg/kg respectively in one of the commonest used toothpastes like Pepsodent especially in children.
Natural abundance
Cobalt is found in the minerals cobaltite, skutterudite and erythrite. Important ore deposits are found in DR Congo, Canada, Australia, Zambia and Brazil. Most cobalt is formed as a by-product of nickel refining.
Good food sources of cobalt include: fish. nuts. green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has the largest cobalt reserves in the world, at some 3.5 million metric tons as of 2021. As the total global cobalt reserves amount to 7.6 million metric tons, this means that the DR Congo's cobalt reserves account for nearly half of the world's reserves of the metal.
Other scientists reported the cobalt content in chocolate as 0.05 mg kg-1 (BIEGO et al.
Cobalt is used in the cathode of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and, to a lesser degree, the anode of nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries. There are five main types of lithium-ion batteries, three of which have cobalt-based cathode chemistry.
Cobalt is an essential mineral for the lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, laptops and smart phones. It offers the highest energy density and is key for boosting battery life.
Apple today released new details on the increased use of recycled content across its products. For the first time, the company introduced certified recycled gold, and more than doubled the use of recycled tungsten, rare earth elements, and cobalt.
What to avoid if you are allergic to cobalt?
- Jewellery [see Jewellery allergy]
- Metal household items (eg, cutlery, zippers, coins, keys,)
- Cosmetics – especially eye shadow, blushers, and compact powders [see Contact reactions to cosmetics]
- Leather.
- Clothing and shoes [see Textile contact dermatitis, Shoe contact dermatitis]
- Hair dye.
She and her colleagues recommend avoiding chocolate, seafood (especially shellfish), some legumes, grains, nuts, canned foods, leafy green vegetables, and multivitamin supplements/drinks with nickel. "Cobalt is commonly associated with nickel dermatitis and also presents with vesicular hand eczema," said Dr. Matiz.
There are also traces of cobalt in food, antiperspirants, dental or orthopedic prostheses, detergents and washing powders, plastic, and in other metal objects containing nickel. They can also be found in pigments used in cosmetics and make-up, hair dyeing, and tattoos.
In most drinking water, cobalt levels are less than 1–2 ppb. For most people, food is the largest source of cobalt intake. The average person consumes about 11 micrograms of cobalt a day in their diet.
In animals, cobalt is a trace element essential in the nutrition of ruminants (cattle, sheep) and in the maturation of human red blood cells in the form of vitamin B12, the only vitamin known to contain such a heavy element.
Small amounts of cobalt are present naturally in rock, soil, water, plants, animals and air.
Milk is a source of essential elements such as cobalt (Co), which plays a very important role in a number of physiological functions, but it also contains elements not considered essential for the human body, such as silver (Ag) and vanadium (V) (Millour et al. 2012; Noël et al.
This contact allergy may cause your skin to react when it is exposed to this substance although it may take several days for the symptoms to appear. Typical symptoms include redness, swelling, itching and fluid-filled blisters.
Answer: Cobalt is one of the components of vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin.
Current battery technologies require cobalt as part of the cathode. Given the growing popularity of electric vehicles, demand for cobalt continues to increase. Near-term trends suggest demand will outstrip supply, thus increased prices.
Is cobalt rare on Earth?
Cobalt is a rare element with a frequency in the Earth's crust of 0,004 percent. This puts it in the thirtieth place in the list of frequency ordered items.
More than 70% of the world's cobalt is produced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and any nation that produces electronics wants in on that source. But based on operational mines and projected demand, forecasters predict that supply won't be able to keep up with demand by 2030, or even as early as 2025.
This alloy can also be found in chocolate, cashews and kidney beans. According to the Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, chocolate is one of the foods that have the highest nickel and cobalt content.
Treatment consists of avoiding all contact with sources of cobalt. Treatment of allergic dermatitis includes local emollients, topical corticosteroids to suppress allergic reactions in the skin, and treatment of secondary infection, if any.
Dark chocolate is best for you because it's the least processed chocolate, which means it contains the highest percentage of flavonoid-filled cocoa bean (cocoa).