Cobalt
A commodity
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Approximately 95% of the world’s terrestrial cobalt resources are hosted within three principal deposit types:
(a) Sediment-hosted stratiform Cu–Co deposits (~58%), predominantly located in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
(b) Ni–Co laterite deposits (~29%), mainly distributed across Australia, New Caledonia, and Cuba.
(c) Magmatic Ni–Cu–PGE–Co sulphide deposits (~9%), occurring in Australia, Canada, Russia, Finland, and the United States.
(a) Sediment-hosted stratiform Cu–Co deposits (~58%), predominantly located in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
(b) Ni–Co laterite deposits (~29%), mainly distributed across Australia, New Caledonia, and Cuba.
(c) Magmatic Ni–Cu–PGE–Co sulphide deposits (~9%), occurring in Australia, Canada, Russia, Finland, and the United States.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
52440
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:52440:9
Properties of Cobalt
Atomic Number:
27
Atomic Weight:
58.933195(5)
Melting Point:
1768 K (1494°C, 2722°F)
Boiling Point:
3200 K (2926°C, 5300°F)
Density:
8.9 g/cm3
Uses of Cobalt
42% of total cobalt consumption went to manufacture of superalloys, particularly for gas turbine and aerospace applications. A further 9% was utilised in the production of cemented carbides, while around 16% was associated with other metallurgical and metallic applications. The remaining 33% was consumed in a range of chemical applications, including batteries, catalysts, pigments, and drying agents.
Other Commodities associated with Cobalt *
| Commodity | Associated Localities | Total Localities | % Association (commodity) | % Association (Cobalt) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | 377 | 18,170 | 2.07% of all Copper deposits have Cobalt. | 49.35% of all Cobalt deposits have Copper. |
| Nickel | 279 | 1,166 | 23.93% of all Nickel deposits have Cobalt. | 36.52% of all Cobalt deposits have Nickel. |
| Silver | 203 | 19,191 | 1.06% of all Silver deposits have Cobalt. | 26.57% of all Cobalt deposits have Silver. |
| Gold | 167 | 34,849 | 0.48% of all Gold deposits have Cobalt. | 21.86% of all Cobalt deposits have Gold. |
| Lead | 102 | 14,155 | 0.72% of all Lead deposits have Cobalt. | 13.35% of all Cobalt deposits have Lead. |
| Zinc | 88 | 9,408 | 0.94% of all Zinc deposits have Cobalt. | 11.52% of all Cobalt deposits have Zinc. |
| Iron | 80 | 9,204 | 0.87% of all Iron deposits have Cobalt. | 10.47% of all Cobalt deposits have Iron. |
| Chromium | 70 | 1,517 | 4.61% of all Chromium deposits have Cobalt. | 9.16% of all Cobalt deposits have Chromium. |
Important ores of Cobalt
Most cobalt is not mined directly from cobalt ores but is a by-product of nickel and/or copper production.
| Name | Formula | Crystal System |
|---|---|---|
| Cobaltite | CoAsS | Orthorhombic |
| Glaucodot | (Co0.50Fe0.50)AsS | Orthorhombic |
| Skutterudite | CoAs3 | Isometric |
| Erythrite | Co3(AsO4)2 · 8H2O | Monoclinic |
| Photos |
|---|
Companies producing Cobalt
| Click on name for company details. (Number is operations listed on mindat.org) |
|---|
Vale SA (2) Blackdown Resources (UK) Ltd (1) Codelco (1) Forrest Group (1) Glencore plc (1) Nornickel (1) ONA (1) |
Internet Links for Cobalt
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-52440.html
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Mineral Dealers:
References for Cobalt
Reference List:
[1]Picazo-Rodríguez, Nallely Guadalupe; Garza Román, Marleth Roxana; Carrillo Pedroza, Francisco Raúl; Soria-Aguilar, Ma. de Jesús; Toro, Norman; Galleguillos-Madrid, Felipe M.; Sales-Cruz, Mauricio; Baltierra-Costeira, Gabriela; Puente Siller, Damaris Margarita (2026) Geology, Reserves, Metallurgical Processing and Recycling of Cobalt—A Review. Minerals, 16 (7). doi:10.3390/min16070729
Deposits of Cobalt
Showing 764 deposits.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
Atlantic Ocean | |
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Austria | |
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Bolivia | |
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Canada | |
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| Vale SA |
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| Balmoral Resources Ltd. |
Chile | |
| Codelco |
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China | |
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Colombia | |
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Cuba | |
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Cyprus | |
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Czech Republic | |
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Dominican Republic | |
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DR Congo | |
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| Forrest Group | |
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| Glencore plc | |
Finland | |
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France | |
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| Vale SA |
Germany | |
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Greece | |
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Iran | |
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Italy | |
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Japan | |
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Madagascar | |
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Mauritania | |
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Mongolia | |
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Morocco | |
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| ONA |
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Myanmar | |
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Namibia | |
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Nepal | |
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North Macedonia | |
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Norway | |
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Pacific Ocean | |
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Peru | |
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Poland | |
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Russia | |
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| Nornickel |
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Slovakia | |
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South Africa | |
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Spain | |
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Sudan | |
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Sweden | |
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| Nickel Mountain Resources |
Tanzania | |
| Blackdown Resources (UK) Ltd |
Turkey | |
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UK | |
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USA | |
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Venezuela | |
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Håkansboda, Stråssa, Lindesberg, Örebro County, Sweden