Cobalt
About Cobalt
Cobalt is a critical battery metal essential for lithium-ion cathode chemistries used in electric vehicles and portable electronics. The Democratic Republic of Congo supplies the majority of the world's mined cobalt, creating significant supply chain and ethical sourcing concerns. Cobalt's role in superalloys also makes it vital for aerospace and defense applications.
Primary Uses
Top Producing Countries
Quick Facts
- Symbol
- Co
- Atomic Number
- 27
- Category
- Battery Metal
- Criticality Level
- High
- Supply Risk
- High
- Top Producer
- DR Congo
- USGS Critical List
- Listed
- EU CRM List
- Listed
Explore Cobalt In Depth
Dive into detailed analysis across 11 key topics covering every aspect of the Cobalt value chain.
Uses & Applications
Discover the primary industrial, technological, and commercial applications of Cobalt across key sectors.
Supply Chain
Trace the Cobalt supply chain from mine to market, including key intermediaries, processing hubs, and trade flows.
Mining & Processing
Learn how Cobalt is extracted, concentrated, and processed into usable forms for downstream industries.
Refining & Grade Specs
Explore the refining methods, purity grades, and technical specifications that define Cobalt products.
Recycling
Assess the recycling potential, current recovery rates, and circular economy opportunities for Cobalt.
Substitutes
Evaluate possible substitutes and alternative materials that could reduce dependence on Cobalt.
Investing
Understand the investment landscape for Cobalt, including equities, ETFs, futures, and direct exposure strategies.
Price
Analyze Cobalt pricing mechanisms, historical trends, benchmarks, and the factors that drive market volatility.
Companies
Identify the major miners, processors, and technology companies involved in the Cobalt value chain.
Projects
Review the significant mining and processing projects shaping the future supply of Cobalt worldwide.
Risks
Examine the supply risks, geopolitical vulnerabilities, and strategic concerns associated with Cobalt.
Return to the full Mineral Library to explore other critical and strategic minerals.