What is Cobalt?

Cobalt is the 27^th chemical element in the periodic table of elements. Its periodic symbol is Co. It is a grayish, metallic substance that is hard and often brittle in its natural form. It was discovered in 1739 by a Swedish chemist, Georg Brandt. The element is hardly ever obtainable in its pure form, but it can be found in numerous alloys and is a crucial trace element for human nutrition as vitamin B12.

Most people would recognize cobalt in the form of the bright blue dye that is removed from its salts. This blue dye dates back to Greek and Egyptian times and was used in many different applications from dyeing fabrics to decorating tombs. Today the familiar hue itself is actually used in many paints while the element is not. Some lesser know hues derived from cobalt salts are cerulean, cobalt yellow and cobalt green.

Cobalt is more frequently used to create alloys. Stellite alloys, that contain chromium, tungsten, and cobalt, are used for making high-speed and high temperature cutting tools and dyes. Cobalt is also used for different alloys used in gas turbines and jet engines, as well as some magnetic steels and a few kinds of stainless steels. Alnico made of nickel, cobalt, and aluminum, is used to make permanently powerful magnets. Cobalt can also be reduced to radioactive isotopes that are then used in medicine, research, and other parts of industry. Cobalt is not usually mined on its own. Instead it is typically found during the mining and refining of copper, iron, nickel, silver, and lead.

Although trace amounts are needed for human nutrition cobalt can be very dangerous if it is consumed in large quantities. Typically a person will get the cobalt they need by eating a healthy and balanced diet. This being said large doses of cobalt can be harmful to the lungs and heart. The radioactive isotopes used in medicine can also be very harmful so their usage is carefully monitored to ensure safety.