Cobalt (Lat. Cobaltum) is a lustrous, brittle, corrosion-resistant metal with magnetic properties, found in various copper, nickel and iron ores. Cobalt is a good conductor of heat and electricity and has a wide range of industrial applications. The melting point of cobalt is 1495 °C and its boiling point is 2927 °C.
Cobalt (chemical symbol Co) is used in the cathodes of some lithium-ion batteries, especially NMC and NCA types. Newer high-nickel battery chemistries use less cobalt, and LFP batteries contain none. Cobalt can be found not only in electric vehicle batteries but also in the batteries of much smaller devices – such as computers and smartphones.
Cobalt is also used in another rather unique industrial field – the manufacture of powerful magnets (e.g. Alnico, an alloy of aluminium, nickel and cobalt). These magnets are used in various motors and generators. Cobalt is also used to make various heat-, corrosion- and wear-resistant alloys, which are then used in industries such as energy, aviation and medicine.
Sources:
https://periodic-table.rsc.org/element/27/cobalt
https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2025
https://www.britannica.com/science/cobalt-chemical-element
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobalt