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Where is Cobalt found?
Cobalt is mainly found as a byproduct when
mining and refining nickel, silver, lead copper and iron. The primary ores of
cobalt are cobaltite (CoAsS), erythrite (Co3(AsO4)2), and smaltite (CoAs3).
Some important places that have ore
deposits of Cobalt are Morocco, Zaire, and Canada. When the U.S Geological
Survey was done, it said that the bottom of the north central Pacific Ocean could
have cobalt deposits. These could be in shallow waters near the Hawaiian islands
and other U.S Pacific territories.
How is Cobalt Obtained?
Cobalt is usually produced as an alloy with metals such as copper, nickel or lead. To extract cobalt the methods differ slightly according to each metal, but the idea is the same for each one. The ore is first roasted so that a slag of the material can be removed, a compound made up of mixed metal and oxides is left. This compound is then reduced electrolytically and reduced thermally with aluminum or added to sulfuric acid to dissolve the iron, cobalt, nickel. The result of this is metallic copper. Lime is used to precipitate the iron, while sodium hypochlorite is used to precipitate cobalt as the hydroxide. The cobalt hydroxide is then heated to give the oxide, which is then reduced the the metal by heating with charcoal.
Cobalt in the Human Body
| Blood | 0.2-20 p.p.b |
| Bone | 1-4 p.p.b |
| Tissue | approx. 0.3 p.p.b |
| Total amount in body | 1-2 milligrams |
Cobalt Minerals
|
Name |
Formula |
Occurrence |
|
Arsenides - Smaltite, safflorite - Skutterudite - Cobaltite |
CoAs2 CoAs3 CoAsS |
Canada, Morocco, U.S, Canada, Morocco, U.S, Norway Canada, Norway, U.S, Australia |
|
Oxidized Minerals -Asbolite -Heterogenite -Eythrite |
CoO-2MnO2- 4H20 CoO-2Co2O3-6H2O 3CoO-As2O5-8H2O |
New Caledonia Zaire, U.S E. Germany, Canada, U.S, Morocco |
|
Sulfides -Carolite -Linnaeite
-Cattiertie
|
CuS-Co2S3 Co3S4
CoS2
|
Zaire, Zambia. U.S Sweden U.S, Commonwealth of Independent States, Zaire, Germany Zaire, Zambia
|
|
Others Cobaltomentie Sphaerocobaltite
|
CoSeO3-2H2O CoCo3 |
U.S, Argentina México, Germany, Zaire, Italy |
Cobalt Abundances
|
Abundance |
ppb by weight |
ppb by atoms |
|
Sea water |
0.08 |
0.008 |
|
Crustal rocks |
30000 |
10000 |
|
Sun |
4000 |
70 |
|
Stream |
0.2 |
0.003 |
|
Human |
20 |
2 |
|
Meteorite (carbonaceous) |
600000 |
200000 |
|
Universe |
3000 |
60 |
List of Isotopes
|
Mass Number |
Half-life |
Type of Decay |
|
48 |
No Data Available |
Proton Emission |
|
49 |
35 nanoseconds |
Electron Capture Proton Emission |
|
50 |
44 milliseconds |
Electron Capture with delayed Proton Emission |
|
51 |
200 nanoseconds |
Electron Capture |
|
52 |
115 milliseconds |
Electron Capture |
|
53 |
240 milliseconds |
Electron Capture |
|
53m |
247 milliseconds |
Electron Capture Proton Emission |
|
54 |
193.23 milliseconds |
Electron Capture |
|
54m |
1.48 minutes |
Electron Capture |
|
55 |
17.53 hours |
Electron Capture |
|
56 |
77.233 days |
Electron Capture |
|
57 |
271.71 days |
Electron Capture |
|
58 |
70.86 days |
Electron Capture |
|
58m |
9.04 hours |
Isometric transistion |
|
59 |
Stable |
------------------ |
|
60 |
1925.3 days |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
60m |
10.467 minutes |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
61 |
1.650 hours |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
62 |
1.50 minutes |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
62m |
13.91 minutes |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
63 |
27.4 seconds |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
64 |
0.30 seconds |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
65 |
1.20 seconds |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
66 |
0.233 seconds |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
67 |
0.425 seconds |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
68 |
0.18 seconds |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
69 |
0.27 seconds |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
70 |
0.15 seconds |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
71 |
0.21 seconds |
Beta-minus Decay with Nuetron emmision |
|
72 |
0.09 seconds |
Beta-minus Decay with Nuetron emission |
|
73 |
150 nanoseconds |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
74 |
150 nanoseconds |
Beta-minus Decay |
|
75 |
150 nanoseconds |
Beta-minus Decay |