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Cobalt Toxicity
Published in Debasis Bagchi, Manashi Bagchi, Metal Toxicology Handbook, 2020
Muhammad Umar, Ayyaz Sultan, Noman Jahangir, Zobia Saeed
Cobalt chemicals are used in the production of lithium-ion batteries, catalysts, pigments, polymers, and tires. Typically these are dry, granular, powdered salts, commonly in the form of cobalt oxide (CoO), cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH)2), cobalt sulfate (CoSO4), and cobalt acetate (Co(CH3COO)2), along with various niche compounds for other applications. Over the last few decades, the market for cobalt chemicals has spurred due to significant technological advancements. For example, lithium-ion batteries have become extremely popular, owing to their high energy, power density, and long lifetimes compared to other battery types. It makes them perfect not only for modern portable technologies (like smart devices) but also in the current automobile industry revolution of electric vehicles. As a result, demand for cobalt chemicals has increased exponentially. Recycling plants for these batteries have been a source of cobalt release in the environment.
Base Metals Waste Production and Utilization
Published in Sehliselo Ndlovu, Geoffrey S. Simate, Elias Matinde, Waste Production and Utilization in the Metal Extraction Industry, 2017
Sehliselo Ndlovu, Geoffrey S. Simate, Elias Matinde
Cobalt is a transition metal element with atomic number 58.93, electronic structure [Ar]3d74s2, density 8850 kg/m3, and falls between iron and nickel in the Periodic Table (Davies, 2000; Total Materia, 2002; CDI, 2006a; BGS, 2009). Cobalt exhibits a hexagonal close-packed structure at temperatures below 417°C, while exhibiting a face-centred cubic structure between 417°C and its melting point of 1493°C (CDI, 2006a). In its solid state, cobalt is a hard ferromagnetic, lustrous, greyish-silver and brittle metal (CDI, 2006a; BGS, 2009). Just like nickel, cobalt has the following peculiar attributes (Davies, 2000; Total Materia, 2002; CDI, 2006b,c; BGS, 2009): (1) ability to retain its strength at high temperatures; (2) fairly low thermal and electrical conductivities; (3) high ability to form alloys with many other metals, wherein it is able to impart strength properties at high temperatures; (4) ability to maintain its magnetic properties at high temperatures (up to 1121°C, which is higher than any other metal) and (5) good chemical and corrosion resistance properties. The special physical and chemical attributes of cobalt have enabled its widespread uses in applications in engineered materials that require unique properties such as magnetic properties, corrosion resistance, wear resistance and/or strength at elevated temperatures (Davies, 2000; Total Materia, 2002; CDI, 2006b,c; BGS, 2009).
Review of the Recovery of Cobalt from Secondary Resources
Published in Abhilash, Ata Akcil, Critical and Rare Earth Elements, 2019
Cobalt has a variety of uses either as cobalt metal or as cobalt-containing chemicals. While metallurgical and chemical uses of cobalt are the main sectors, the greatest application (42%) is attributed to battery chemicals, especially in NiCd, NiMH, and LIB, with the second greatest (23%) to superalloys for vital applications in defense and industry. Other uses of cobalt include hard materials (carbides and diamond tools) for cutting tools (10%), catalysts (7%), pigments and ceramics (5%), magnets (5%), tyre adhesives and paint dryers (4%), and hardfacing/HSS and other alloys (23%). Some other uses include high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels, cemented carbide tools, preparation of Co60 radiation sources, body implants, and electroplating (4%) (EC, 2017).
A Comprehensive Review on Cobalt Bioleaching from Primary and Tailings Sources
Published in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review, 2023
Alex Kwasi Saim, Francis Kwaku Darteh
Cobalt is mostly mined from stratiform sediment-hosted Cu deposits, magmatic Ni-Cu deposits, and Ni laterite deposits, but other deposit types may also be Co-rich (Dehaine et al. 2021). It is estimated that 65% of the world’s supply of Co comes from co-mining Cu with sediment-hosted Cu deposits processed by hydrometallurgy (Meshram, Abhilash, and Pandey 2019; Pazik et al. 2016; USGS 2019). Laterites and sulfides of Ni ore processing accounts for 35–40% of Co production, with an increasing percentage coming from Ni laterite-based production (Table 1). Minor sources, such as pure Co, and Co produced from platinum group metals, account for the balance. Several countries have historically produced Co from polymetallic Co-bearing vein deposits, but most are today uneconomic, necessitating the development of more efficient and environmentally sustainable technologies for their extraction (Banza Lubaba Nkulu et al. 2018; Horn et al. 2021). Globally, Co supply and demand have experienced rapid growth in recent times, with D.R. Congo being the leading global producer (59%) (Figure 1). Furthermore, because Co is not replaceable in many specialized applications and possible substitutes are often available in much lower quantities, the processing of secondary Co resources, including tailings resources and Co-containing products, is gaining much attention (Chandra et al. 2022; Tkaczyk et al. 2018).
Recovery of Cobalt from Secondary Resources: A Comprehensive Review
Published in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review, 2022
Michael Chandra, Dawei Yu, Qinghua Tian, Xueyi Guo
The leach liquor containing cobalt typically undergoes selective precipitation or solvent extraction for the recovery of cobalt metal. Gurmen et al. (2005) precipitate the cobalt from prior HNO3 leaching solution by adjusting pH to 11 using NaOH at 55°C. The cobalt was precipitated as Co(OH)2 with 97% yields. It was further processed by thermal treatment and hydrogen reduction to obtain cobalt powder with 99.7% purity (Gürmen, Stopić and Friedrich 2005). The application of solvent extraction to the purified alkaline solution containing tungsten and cobalt has been reported. Organophosphorus extractant DEHPA was selected to extract cobalt, where 90% cobalt was extracted at pH above 4. The next process is the crystallization-stripping of cobalt using oxalic acid as both the stripping and precipitation agent. Cobalt oxalate was obtained as the final product (Shibata, Murayama and Niinae 2014).
Determination of cobalt and copper in water, plant, and soil samples by magnetite nanoparticle-based solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with microsample injection system-flame atomic absorption spectrometry (MIS-FAAS)
Published in Instrumentation Science & Technology, 2022
Elvin Sadıqov, Nilgün Elyas Sodan, Ali N. Siyal, Aydan Elçi, Latif Elçi
The determination of cobalt and copper at trace levels is a significant issue in the context of environmental protection, food quality, and human health. Cobalt is an essential element to humans because of its important role in many body functions, such as healthy red blood cell production and neurological systems in mammals.[1,2] It is one of the components of vitamin B12, which is essential for fatty acid metabolism. Nevertheless, large amounts of cobalt may cause health problems, such as asthma, diarrhea, nausea, lung, and heart diseases.[3–5] The permissible cobalt concentration in drinking waters is less than 1–2 µg L−1.[6] Also, copper at trace levels is an essential element for human health because of its significant role in enzyme-mediated systems.[7] The deficiency of copper causes some diseases, such as anemia and Wilson disease.[8] However, high concentrations of copper in the human body may cause a hemolytic crisis, depressive troubles, and neurological disturbances.[9] The World Health Organization (WHO) has explained that many countries have a guideline range of 0.05–3 mg L−1 for copper in drinking water.[10] Food and drinking water are the largest sources of exposure to cobalt and copper for humans. Accordingly, the determinations of cobalt and copper are of particular relevance to human health.[4] Cobalt and copper are usually present at low concentrations in environmental and food samples; thus sensitive, precise, and accurate analytical methods are necessary for their determination.