But when cobalt is dug out of the ground in ore form, there’s barely a hint of the rich hue it lends its name to. This is an updated version of an article originally published by the Investing News Network in 2013.Its name conjures an image of vivid deep blues. The metal is also magnetic, and thus can be used to produce permanent magnets.Īnother cobalt use is as an essential element in the metabolism of humans and animals - those who cannot retain cobalt naturally have to be treated with B12 vitamin therapy, which contains cobalt.Ĭobalt-60 is also used for cancer treatment via radiotherapy, and cobalt is applied in soil dressings in cobalt-deficient soil to prevent “wasting disease” in grazing animals. What applications does cobalt have aside from batteries?īolstering demand are the many other cobalt uses aside from batteries.Īs noted, cobalt’s ability to stand up to high temperatures and its good oxidation resistance make it an important element for superalloys, which are used for casting airfoils and other structural parts of jet turbine engines.Ĭobalt alloys also have a fairly high tolerance for thermal fatigue and can be repaired easily. If progress is made in substitution, it’s possible that battery technologies could change to include less cobalt, and as a result have higher energy density. Cobalt production in the country accounts for about 60 percent of the world’s supply, with most cobalt mined as a by-product of copper. The battery industry is also working to reduce its reliance on cobalt due to the stigma of human rights violations associated with its mining, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As yet, it is not possible to totally replace cobalt in these battery formulations. For instance, Asian battery manufacturers are aiming to change the ratio of their cathode materials from 60 percent nickel, 20 percent cobalt and 20 percent manganese to 80 percent nickel, 10 percent cobalt and 10 percent manganese. In response to these high prices, some battery makers are now looking at ways to use more nickel and less cobalt in lithium-ion batteries. This increasing need for cobalt drove prices for the commodity up substantially in 2017 and early 2018, and again in 20. They are powered by lithium-ion batteries, and as noted, cobalt is one of the key raw materials in these batteries. This number is expected to continue to rise due to increased demand for smartphones, electric vehicles (EVs) and other electronics that require rechargeable batteries.ĮVs in particular have become a huge source of cobalt demand in recent years. However, figures from 2020 show that 56.54 percent of the cobalt produced globally was consumed by the battery industry at that point. In the mid-1990s, only 1 percent of cobalt was used in electronics. These batteries have been stabilized and now contain up to 60 percent cobalt per cell.ĭemand for rechargeable batteries has risen sharply in the last couple of decades. Similarly, the first versions of lithium-ion batteries were found to be too reactive, resulting in battery fires. Engineers found that adding cobalt solved many of these problems. The metal is crucial in the manufacturing of these batteries because it helps them overcome numerous issues.įor example, early iterations of nickel-metal hydride batteries had issues such as a poor lifecycle, internal cell pressure and corrosion. Today, one of cobalt’s main applications is in rechargeable batteries of all kinds. How is cobalt used in rechargeable batteries?
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