Cobalt

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Cobalt
General Info
Atomic Symbol	Co
Atomic Number	27
Atomic Weight	58.933195 g/mol58.933 amu
Chemical series	Transition Metals
Appearance	?
Group, Period, Block	9, 4, d
Electron configuration	[Ar] 4s2, 3d7
Electrons per shell	2, 8, 15, 2
CAS number	?-?-?
Physical properties
Phase
Density	8900 kg m-3 g/ml
Melting point	1495 °C or 2723 °Fwarning.pngUnit conversion for unit "°Cor2723°F" not supported.
Boiling point	2927 °C or 5301 °Fwarning.pngUnit conversion for unit "°Cor5301°F" not supported.
Isotopes of Cobalt
iso NA half-life DT DE (MeV) DP 27 47Co trace unknown p 48Co trace ε 49Co trace 35 nsec ε 50Co trace 44 msec εp 51Co trace 0.20 µs ε 52Co trace 18 msec ε 53Co trace 240 msec ε 53mCo trace 247 msec ε 54Co trace 193.23 msec ε 54mCo trace 1.48 min ε 55Co trace 17.53 hr ε 56Co trace 77.27 dys ε 57Co trace 271.79 dys ε 58Co trace 70.86 dys ε 58mCo trace 9.04 hr IT 59Co 100% 59Co is stable with 32 neutrons. 60Co trace 5.2714 yrs β - 60mCo trace 10.467 min β - 61Co trace 1.650 hr β - 62Co trace 1.50 min β - 62mCo trace 13.91 min β - 63Co trace 27.4 sec β - 64Co trace 0.30 sec β - 65Co trace 1.20 sec β - 66Co trace 0.233 sec β - 67Co trace 0.42 sec β - 68Co trace 0.18 sec β - 69Co trace 0.27 sec β - 70Co trace 150 msec β - 71Co trace 210 msec β - 72Co trace 90 msec β - 73Co trace 41 msec β - 74Co trace 0.15 µs β - 75Co trace 0.15 µs β -
All properties are for STP unless otherwise stated.

Introduction

Cobalt is an element of the Periodic Table of Elements. It has 27 protons and electrons and 32 neutrons. It is part of group 9 and found in period 4 in the periodic table. It was first discovered by George Brandt, around 1735 to 1739 in Sweden. The origin of the name Cobalt comes from the German word kobald, meaning evil spirit or goblin. It also developed from the Greek word cobalos, meaning mine. Cobalt is a transition metal. [1]

Properties

Cobalt has a melting point of 2723 °F and a boiling point of 5301 °F. Its electronegativity is 1.8 and its density is 8.9 g.cm^-3 at 20°C. It contains eight isotopes with an atomic mass of 58.9332 g.mol ^-1. Cobalt is a hard, shiny, and fragile element that is found in period 4 and in group 9 in the periodic table of elements. Like the elements iron and nickel, cobalt is a magnet and has several other properties that it shares with them. Along with being chemically active, it is insensible to water, maintains constancy in the air, and has the ability to make many compounds. It is the twenty-seventh element in the periodic table. [2]

Occurrences

Description

Cobalt can be found in a number of places around the world. Though not much is obtained by the earth's crust nor by its bodies of water, a huge source of cobalt is in earth's core. The amount of the element in soil can range from about 70 ppm to 0.1 ppm. Mining cobalt is proved to be difficult as it is usually found along with copper and nickel in ores. A couple examples of the ores are cobalt are cobaltite and erythrite. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the mainland of China, Zambia, Russia and Australia are all worldwide manufacturers of cobalt. Other countries like Finland, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan produce cobalt as well. [3] Meteorites contain cobalt deposits. Mineral sedimentations of cobalt are located in areas such as Zaire, Morocco and even Canada. [4]

Uses

Cobalt has a hand in art just as much as it has a hand in engineering. For example, cobalt is the main ingredient in the color blue of an artist's collection. It is also used in creating porcelain, pottery, or stained glass. Aside from that, cobalt is also utilized in making alloys for aircraft engines and steels. It can be formed into magnet and is an accelerator for the petroleum and chemical industries in products like ink. The most recognized isotopes of cobalt is ⁶⁰cobalt, because of its radioactive properties. It is applied in medicine as an agent for treatment. Also, cobalt is used to expose food to radiation so as to conserve both the food and the person receiving the food. [5]

Effects in the World

Description

When cobalt is not firmly attached to the soil, it is then spread throughout the earth's atmosphere and makes its way into our air, food, and water. The element is not usually accessible everywhere you look, but it we may become exposed to it. It's helpful to us because cobalt is a substance that resides in vitamin B₁₂ as 1 mg. This is essential to our daily life. Cobalt is used in this treatment because it is needed to handle anemia. On the other hand, cobalt can be a hazard when it is taken into the body in large amounts. Side effects that may result in high intake of cobalt are vomiting/nausea, trouble with your eyesight or heart, and thyroid damage. In the world's environment cobalt is a natural substance that is discovered in rocks, the ground, the air and in the water. Radioactive isotopes aren't a great threat since they have short lives and do not last very long. Although, too much of cobalt in the ground can cause serious health risks among humans and animals. Even too little portions of cobalt can be bad since it is needed to live. Cobalt is impossible to remove from the environment. [6]

References

• Isotopes of Cobalt (Z=27) Nuclear Science Division LBNL, Isotopes Project, Group Leader- C.M. Baglin
• Chemical properties of Cobalt Lenntech Water treatment & Air Purification Holding B.V., Lenntech.com

• Cobalt Facts Part of the New York Times company, About.com, Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

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