Cobalt information, including Technical Data, Safety Data and its high purity properties, research, applications and other useful facts are discussed below. Scientific facts such as the atomic structure, ionization energy, abundance on Earth, conductivity and thermal properties are included.
Cobalt has a metallic permeability two thirds that of iron. It exists as a mixture of two allotropes over a wide temperature range. The transformation is slow and accounts in part for the wide variation in the physical properties of cobalt. It is alloyed with iron, nickel and other metals to make Alnico, an alloy of unusual magnetic strength with many important uses. Samarium-cobalt is one of the highest strength magnet alloys known. Cobalt compounds produce a brilliant and permanent blue color in ceramic glazes, glass, pottery, tiles, and enamels. Co-60 is useful as a gamma ray source. Cobalt is available as metal and compounds with purities from 99% to 99.999% (ACS grade to ultra-high purity); metals in the form of foil, sputtering target, and rod, and compounds as submicron and nanopowder.
Cobalt facts, including appearance, CAS #, and molecular formula and safety data, research and properties are
available for many specific states, forms and shapes on the product pages listed to the left. Elemental or metallic forms include pellets, rod, wire and granules for evaporation source material purposes. Nanoparticles and nanopowders provide ultra high surface area which nanotechnology research and recent experiments demonstrate function to create new and unique properties and benefits.
Oxides are available in forms including powders and dense pellets for such uses as optical coating and thin film applications. Oxides tend to be insoluble. Fluorides are another insoluble form for uses in which oxygen is undesirable such as metallurgy, chemical and physical vapor deposition and in some optical coatings. Cobalt is available in soluble forms including chlorides, nitrates and acetates. These compounds are also manufactured as solutions at specified stoichiometries.
Cobalt is a Block D, Group 9, Period 4 element. The electronic configuration is [Ar] 3d7 4s2. In its elemental form cobalt's CAS number is 7440-48-4. The cobalt atom has a radius of 125.3.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 200.pm.
All elemental metals, compounds and solutions may be synthesized in ultra high purity (e.g. 99.999%) for laboratory standards, advanced electronic, metallurgy and optical materials and other high technology advantages. Information is provided for stable (non-radioactive) isotopes. Organo-Metallic Cobalt compounds are soluble in organic or non-aqueous solvents. See Analytical Services for information on available certified chemical and physical analysis techniques including MS-ICP, X-Ray Diffraction, PSD and Surface Area (BET) analysis.
Cobalt was first discovered by George Brandt in 1737.
 Cobalt |
 Cobalt |
 cobalto |
 Cobalto |
 cobalto |
 Kobolt
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Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of cobalt and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope.
|
Isotope |
Atomic Mass |
% Abundance on Earth |
Co-59 |
58.933200 |
100 |
Safety Data. The safety data for cobalt metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin.
Hardness. Cobalt is a hard, brittle metal measuring 5.5 on the Mohs Scale of mineral hardness.
Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for cobalt (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it's ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table:
|
1st Ionization Energy |
760.41 kJ mol-1 |
2nd Ionization Energy |
1648.27 kJ mol-1 |
3rd Ionization Energy |
3232.28 kJ mol-1 |
Conductivity. As to cobalt's electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 �C is 6.24 μΩcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 1.88. The thermal conductivity of cobalt is 100 W m-1 K-1.
Thermal Properties. The melting point and boiling point for cobalt are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization.
|
Heat of Fusion |
15.2 kJ mol-1 |
Heat of Vaporization |
382.4 kJ mol-1 |
Heat of Atomization |
423.082 kJ mol-1 |
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