Element 27 · Transition Metal
Cobalt
Cobalt was the colour blue in ancient pottery — and now drives the lithium-ion battery cathodes that power your phone.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Co
ATOMIC NO.
27
ATOMIC WEIGHT
58.93
CATEGORY
Transition Metal
PERIOD
Period 4
GROUP
Group 9
Quick Overview
Cobalt is element 27, a hard, lustrous transition metal first isolated in 1735 by Swedish chemist Georg Brandt. The Democratic Republic of Congo dominates world cobalt production at over 70% of global supply, often as a copper-mining by-product. Cobalt has had a controversial supply chain due to artisanal mining conditions in DRC, driving Western efforts to develop alternative sources.
Discovery & History
Cobalt blue pigments have been used in Chinese porcelain since at least the Tang Dynasty (7th century AD). Cobalt steels were used in WWII for cutting tools (HSCo high-speed steels). Cobalt-60 isotope was central to medical radiotherapy from the 1950s onward.
Where It's Used
Lithium-ion battery cathodes (NMC and NCA chemistries) account for the largest current cobalt demand. Superalloys for aircraft jet engines (Inconel and similar) contain cobalt for high-temperature strength. Magnetic alloys (Alnico, samarium-cobalt magnets) and cutting tool binders.
Can You Sell It?
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Cobalt:
Like nickel and chromium, cobalt appears as an alloying element in superalloys and within lithium-ion battery cathodes — not as standalone scrap. Cobalt-bearing scrap goes to specialist superalloy recyclers (such as Heraeus or Umicore) for refining, or to battery recyclers for lithium battery cathode reclamation. There is no consumer scrap-yard market for cobalt items.
Price Guide
Cobalt prices have ranged from $25,000 to $80,000/tonne over 2021–2026.