Cobalt, the superhero of metals

Cobalt is a crucial metal in lithium batteries because it stabilises the extremely flammable lithium. Cobalt is also essential for industries that require extremely hard-wearing metal alloys - or so-called superalloys - because cobalt provides strength to other metals. So cobalt is a sort of a superhero of the metal world, providing strength and stability to metal alloys. Let's have a look at where cobalt comes from with Dr Taija Torvela. Cobalt-bearing ores can form in a variety of geological environments, however cobalt is not usually mined as a primary ore but as a by-product of other metal mining. But we will visit one area where cobalt is mined as a primary ore: the Bou Azzer district in Morocco. This video is part of Taija's Youtube channel ‪@ourmetallicearth‬ #cobalt #energytransition #batterymetals #geology #fieldwork #mining #minerals #mineralogy #criticalminerals #exploration #netzero #decarbonisation #earthscience #education