Cobalt (Co): Fun Facts and Information About the Element

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Fun Facts about Cobalt

What is the symbol? Co
What is the atomic number? 27
What is the atomic weight? 58.9332
What is the melting point in Celsius? 1495
What is the boiling point in Celsius? 2870
What is the density (g/cm3)? 8.9
What year was it discovered? 1735
Who discovered the element? Georg Brandt
What group is the element in? 9
What is the electron configuration? [Ar] 3d7 4s2
What is the ionization energy? 7.881
What element category is it in? Transition Elements

Where is Cobalt Found?

Cobalt occurs in the minerals cobaltite, smaltite, and erythrite, and is often associated with nickel , silver , lead , copper , and iron ores, from which it is most frequently obtained as a by-product.

Important ore deposits are found in Zaire, Morocco, and Canada. The U.S. Geological Survey has announced that the bottom of the north central Pacific Ocean may have cobalt-rich deposits at relatively shallow depths in water close to the the Hawaiian Islands and other U.S. Pacific territories.

What is Cobalt Used For?

It is alloyed with iron, nickel and other metals to make Alnico, an alloy of unusual magnetic strength with many important uses. Stellite alloys, containing cobalt, chromium , and tungsten , are used for high-speed, heavy-duty, high temperature cutting tools, and for dies.

Cobalt is also used in other magnetic steels and stainless steels, and in alloys used in jet turbines and gas turbine generators. The metal is used in electroplating because of its appearance, hardness, and resistance to oxidation.

Cobalt salts have been used for centuries to produce brilliant and permanent blue colors in porcelain, glass, pottery, tiles, and enamels. Cobalt carefully used in the form of the chloride, sulfate, acetate, or nitrate has been found effective in correcting a certain mineral deficiency disease in animals.

Resource by B.Sobey

I am a recent masters graduate from FL. I enjoy the beach, traveling, and writing. I just moved to South Carolina in hopes to find a job as a journalist.

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