Cobalt Essay

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Cobalt is element number 27 on the periodic table meaning that it has an atomic number of 27, with 27 electrons, and a symbol of Co. Cobalt is located in the middle of the periodic table making it a transition metal. It was the fourteenth element to be discovered which makes it one of the oldest discovered elements on earth. Cobalt is an interesting element and has a lot of history and uses. Cobalt is similar to other elements such as iron and has different metallic properties. Cobalt was discovered in 1735 in Sweden, Germany. A lot can be discovered through one simple yet complex element such as Cobalt. Around the year 1735, many people were searching for gold( Au) and Silver ( Ag) through mines. Mines were becoming more and more popular …show more content…

Cobalt is rarely found in pure states so its usually found in compounds with other metals such as iron and rock. Cobalt meteorites is the only source in which Cobalt is found at a pure state. Metallic meteorites are mostly iron but, they contain enough nickel and cobalt to turn iron into an alloy of steel. Cobalt can be used as alloys for metals, superalloys to be exact. Coballoy is an alloy of Tungsten Carbide and Cobalt. It is used for making high-speed, hard-cutting tools. Superalloys can resist corrosion caused by intrusion of oxygen, carbon, sulfur, or nitrogen. This could be used for electroplating shiny metals surfaces. Superalloys also make good seals for glass or …show more content…

Cobalt can be used for many things such as alloys, laundry detergent, and cobalt can even be found in paint. Cobalt has many different properties that allow it to do many different interesting things. Cobalt is used for electroplating metals. What this means is that Cobalt has the properties to coat other metals and keep them from corroding and keep them shiny and looking brand new. Like I mentioned before, Cobalt can also be used as a magnet. When Co2+ is mixed with Fe2+, the current loss is lowered making it be able to act as a magnet. That is just one of its interesting properties. Cobalt is also found in laundry detergent. That is partly where laundry detergent gets its blue color from. In the ancient times, people noticed that if some cobalt ores were soaked in water, it would cause the water to turn blue. People who washed clothes would make sure not to have cobalt near their clothes, thinking it would also turn their clothes blue, But, if linen or cotton cloth is soaked and washed in water that is stained blue with cobalt, then the cloth or linen would appear whiter. Cobalt compounds have been used in “laundry bluing” since the dawn of times. With these methods of washing clothes, people then came up with ideas such as bleach, but thats a whole other

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