Cobalt is a shiny, brittle metal that is used to produce strong, corrosion and heat-resistant alloys, permanent magnets and hard metals.
Silver-colored cobalt metal is brittle, has a high melting point and is valued for its wear resistance and ability to retain its strength at high temperatures.
It is one of the three naturally occurring magnetic metals (iron and nickel being the other two) and retains its magnetism at a higher temperature (2012°F, 1100°C) than any other metal. In other words, cobalt has the highest Curie Point of all metals. Cobalt also has valuable catalytic properties
Superalloys, such as stellite, are the largest consumer of cobalt metal, accounting for about 20% of demand. Predominantly made of iron, cobalt and nickel, but containing smaller amounts of other metals, including chromium, tungsten, aluminum, and titanium, these high-performance alloys are resistant to high temperatures, corrosion and wear, and are used to manufacture turbine blades for jet engines, hard facing machine parts, exhaust valves, and gun barrels.
Another important use for cobalt is in wear-resistant alloys (e.g. Vitallium), which can be found in orthopedic and dental implants, as well as prosthetic hips and knees.
Hardmetals, in which cobalt is used as a binding material, consume roughly 12% of total cobalt. These include cemented carbides and diamond tools that are used in cutting applications and mining tools.
Cobalt is also used to produce permanent magnets, such as the previously mentioned AlNiCo and samarium-cobalt magnets. Magnets account for 7% of cobalt metal demand and are used in magnetic recording media, electric motors, as well as generators.
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