Cobalt essays

Cobalt essays Cobalt is a brittle, hard, transition metal with magnetic properties similar to those of iron. Cobalt is present in meteorites. Main Ore deposits in the world are found in Zaire, Morocco and Canada. Cobalt-60 (60Co) is an artificially produced isotope used as a source of g rays (high energy radiation). Cobalt salts colour glass a beautiful deep blue colour. Cobalt was discovered in 1735 by the Swedish chemist George Brandt. It has a relatively low strength and little ductility at normal temperatures, but is ductile at high temperatures. Cobalt melts at about 1495Â ° C (about 2723Â ° F), boils at about 2870Â ° C (about 5198Â ° F), and has a relative density of 89km/m cubed; the atomic weight of cobalt is 58.933. Cobalt is a Metal in the periodic table; it is number 27 on the list. It is not abundant and its a transition metal. It is 30th in order by weight and is widely distributed in the earth but only in small amounts. It is found in the earths crust at 29ppm (parts per million) but traces of it are found in the sea and fresh water. Cobalt is mined throughout the world. In 1980 32700 tonnes of cobalt was mined. Zaire was the main producer than Australia. In Australia Cobalt ores are found in WA, NSW, QLD and Tasmania. Cobaltite is the name of the ore that cobalt is found in and in Australia cobaltite is found in Ravensthorpe in WA and at Mt. Cobalt in Central Western Queensland. Cobaltite is found with Nickel, copper and Lead. Those two areas are the main Australian Producers of cobalt. Western Mining Corporation produces cobalt concentrate at Kwinana Nickel Refinery, in WA. Cobalt is found in low-grade ore; therefore small amounts of cobalt must be separated from large amounts of waste. Depending on the minerals in the ore different methods of extraction are used. To obtain cobalt you must first roast the cobaltite to change the cobalt to Cobalt Oxide (CoO) then the cobalt is freed from oxide by heating it wi ...