Abstract:
Cobalt has unique chemical and physical properties that establish it as essential for a wide range of industrial applications, notably as a cathode "stabilizer" in Li-ion batteries. Though concentrated in a diversity of deposit styles across all continents, the most significant ore systems today are sediment-shale hosted Cu-Co and Ni-Co laterites, hosting more than 85% of all terrestrial Co deposits. In this presentation, the geology, mineralogy and mineral processing of cobalt deposits will be explained, emphasizing the precarious Co supply chain and the devastating colonial history of those countries that provide the rest of the world with this critical mineral. Samples and historical materials from the diversity of cobalt systems will be available for examination.