Discover the Magic of Cobalt: 12 Entertaining and Fascinating Fun Facts You Never Knew!

1. Blue-tiful History

Feeling blue? So was cobalt, way back in the day: This vibrant element has been the go-to choice for adding that perfect shade of azure to ceramics and glass since its discovery in the 8th century, making our world a tad more colorful one artifact at a time.
Source => cdc.gov

2. Tech Fiesta Star

While Van Gogh may have been "Cobalt-holic" in his paintings, its true party trick is bestowed upon the modern tech fiesta: Over half of the global cobalt production is dedicated to creating rechargeable batteries for smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles, turning the world into a happier blue all around!
Source => naturalpigments.eu

Discover how white dwarf stars act as master chefs in the cosmos, creating a celestial stew of metallic goodness, including nickel, in a spectacular Type Ia supernova! 🌟💥

=> Fun Facts about Nickel

3. Lithium-ion Guru

Feeling charged up about electric vehicles and wondering what makes them tick? You can thank cobalt for having a fabulous chemistry degree in "Lithium-ion Transportation": This metallic showstopper is a key ingredient in lithium-ion batteries, having a knack for high voltage performance and impressive energy density. However, with electric vehicle batteries hogging a hefty 20 kg of cobalt per pack, researchers are now aiming to give it a bit of a vacation, with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Texas at Austin creating a band of new cathode materials featuring nickel, iron & aluminum or manganese, while still maintaining good cycling and performance.
Source => energy.gov

4. Magnet Superhero

When SmCo magnets aren't busy being the life of the party in heavy industrial motors, they're off saving the day from high temperatures and corrosive environments like a superpowered magnet on a mission: Thanks to their hefty cobalt content, Samarium Cobalt magnets excel in these challenging conditions, making them a popular choice for generators, defense applications, and other heavy-duty jobs where the going gets tough and the magnets get tougher.
Source => idealmagnetsolutions.com

5. Goblin Chemist Extraordinaire

Blue da ba dee da ba dye: an enigmatic earworm that perplexed the masses in the late '90s, and a fitting homage to cobalt, the chemical element that's been turning things blue since time immemorial. All hail Georg Brandt, our Swedish chemist extraordinaire, who isolated the metal in the 18th century, shrugged off its original title of "kobold" - a name inspired by the pesky, smelly fumes it expelled - and paved the way for modern cobalt production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, courtesy of copper and nickel mining.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Nerve Party Master

Who needs fiber-optic cables when you have cobalt-powered nerves? Zapping signals faster than an adrenaline-fueled gamer's reflexes, cobalt's got your back when it comes to your nervous system: This trusty element helps repair the myelin sheath that protects nerves and boosts the efficient transmission of electrical impulses – it's even been found to reduce the impact of disorders like Multiple Sclerosis. No wonder cobalt's the life of the nerve party!
Source => themanual.com

7. Goblin's Artistic Side

Who knew goblins were such talented artisans, dabbling in Persian pottery and modern aerospace: Cobalt, deriving its name from the German "kobold" meaning "goblin," has ancient roots in blue pottery glazes and contemporary uses in aircraft parts, alloys, and batteries, even moonlighting in cancer treatments via its radioactive isotope, cobalt-60.
Source => breakingatom.com

8. Goblin Pranks: The Reality Show

Miners in the 16th century could have starred in the spookiest reality TV series called "Kobald's Pranks", where goblin-like creatures tricked them with cobalt deposits disguised as silver and unleashed poisonous fumes upon smelting: Cobalt, formerly known as "kobald", has been used for over 2,500 years to color glass and ceramics, while modern-day cobalt pigments are synthesized with aluminium, phosphorus, zinc, tin, and potassium to create a vibrant palette of colors, including deep forest green, warm blue, golden yellow, and cold violet, but without any mischievous goblin interference.
Source => jacksonsart.com

9. Steel's Wingman

Next up on Cobalt: The Secret Life of Steel's Wingman, we encounter its superhero-like feat: Cobalt, often seen on the arm of high-speed steel at fancy galas, has the power to elevate and intensify the properties of its metal companion, reaching new heights of temperature resistance and strength we never imagined possible: By adding cobalt to steel, it strengthens the alloy's red hardness, making it perfect for cutting edge tools and situations where toughness takes center stage.
Source => diehlsteel.com

10. Ancient Blue Trendsetters

Forget ancient Tide Pods – Egyptians were rocking the original blue hue back in the day: Cobalt, dating back to 2500 BCE, was their secret sauce for stunning blue paints and sassy Prussian cobalt oxide necklaces, while also making cameos in a Greek vase from 100 BC and sprucing up Tang dynasty glass in 618 AD.
Source => rsc.org

11. Underwater Bling

As ocean pipelines do the electric slide across the seabed, they sport some trendy cobalt bling to withstand the underwater sass: Cobalt-based superalloys are employed in constructing these feisty rigs, pipelines, and storage tanks to resist corrosion from salt water and even those pesky, harsh chemicals.
Source => blog.thepipingmart.com

12. Sizzling Jet-Setter

Cobalt, the jet-setting party animal of the periodic table, always knows how to keep its cool under pressure and stay magnetic even when things heat up: This sizzling element is crucial in manufacturing jet engine components and gas turbines for electricity generation, as it retains its magnetic properties even at scorching high temperatures.
Source => iea.org