Cobalt

Current trends in transport electrification and mobile technologies have created an increasing demand for raw materials needed for battery production. The supply chains involved are global, complex, non-transparent and sometimes associated with unsustainable production practices. To improve on the current situation, it is essential to trace battery raw materials back to their origins to verify the conditions in which they were produced. This demand for increased transparency has triggered actions in European Union legislation and among companies operating within battery supply chains.

In this report, we review the current landscape for the application of traceability methods to battery supply chains. The report begins with a global overview of selected battery metals and minerals and their related sustainability issues. As sustainability is an integral goal for traceability, sustainability reporting systems for mining are reviewed from the perspective of traceability. Existing traceability methods and case studies in battery supply chains are reviewed, including the geo-based fingerprinting method (laboratory technology) that is being developed in the BATTRACE research project. We also discuss the business potential of the geo-based fingerprinting method.

Several drivers are identified for traceability. The main driver comes from regulatory development, such as the EU’s battery directives. Customer awareness of sustainability issues is also beginning to influence manufacturers (OEMs) to invest in the transparency of their battery metal supply chains. In addition, the producers of sustainable and low emission raw materials have identified the commercial benefit of tracing the greenhouse gas emissions of their products along the supply chain. Current sustainability and reporting systems used within the mining industry are inadequate to comply with the increased traceability needs, as their focus is limited to the beginning of the supply chain.

The traceability pilots that are currently in use are still limited in scope. For traceability to become commonplace in mining supply chains, OEMs will need to recognize the overall commercial benefits of traceability. Ethical questions dominate in the sustainability considerations on cobalt production, and there are indications that the cobalt market may be separating into traceable and certified cobalt, and bulk cobalt. For lithium and graphite production, the dominating sustainability considerations relate to water and energy consumption and dust. Lithium and graphite are not currently communicated to be included in any digital traceability solution under preparation, but they have been included in BATTRACE research for the geo-based fingerprinting method. Geo-based fingerprinting has considerable commercial potential as a traceability method and a verification tool. As the geological and elemental characteristics of a sample cannot be falsified, the method has unique potential as a stand-alone traceability technology, or as a complementary verification method with any other traceability system. The method could also serve as a verification tool in the “Metals from Finland” certificate, which could sharpen the marketing of sustainable and traceable battery metals production from Finland.

Chromium (Cr) and cobalt (Co) metal ions released from orthopedic prostheses, such as metal-on-metal (MoM) bearings, may be related to wear of the bearing surface. These ions may serve as indicators of the in vivo performance of MoM bearing surfaces. We developed a simple and sensitive assay suitable for the simultaneous measurement of serum Cr and Co using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in clinical routine laboratory practice to evaluate analytical performance and clinical utility. We evaluated the linearity, precision, and lower limit of quantification (LOQ) of an ICP-MS method to determine serum Cr and Co concentration in accordance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidance for bioanalytical method validation. This method was used to determine the serum Cr and Co levels of 236 clinical samples from 74 patients with MoM hip prosthesis and 51 healthy controls. The assay showed good linearity (0-20 μg/l, r(2)>0.999) and satisfactory accuracy for all t...

4-(1H-Pyrazolo {3,4-d} pyrimidin-4-ylazo) benzene-1,3-diol was synthesized and characterized by various spectral and analytical techniques. Semiempirical quantum calculations using the AM1 method have been performed in order to evaluate the geometry and electronic structure of the title azodye in the ground state. The complex formation between Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) ions and the title azodye was studied conductometrically and spectrophotometrically. The

OBJECTIVE To compare the levels of trace elements and heavy metal in patients with acute migraine and healthy controls. METHODS The prospective study was conducted at Yuzuncu Yil University, Turkey, from May to July 2013, and comprised migraine patients and an equal number of healthy controls. International Headache Society classification was used for diagnosing migraine. Serum copper, zinc, lead, iron, cadmium, cobalt, manganese, and magnesium levels were measured in both groups. Metal concentrations were assessed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. SPSS 13 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS There were 25 migraine patients with an average age of 36.4±8.9 years and 25 healthy controls with a mean age of 42.4±9.5 years. Cadmium, iron, manganese and lead levels were significantly elevated in the patients compared to the controls (p<0.05 each), while copper, magnesium and zinc were decreased and cobalt demonstrated no change. CONCLUSIONS Trace elements and heavy metals m...

In the electrodeposition system, adding saccharin alters the properties of the metal deposits by changing the electrode kinetics of the deposited surface. In this study, nanocrystalline cobalt-iron (CoFe) coating was synthesised using the electrodeposition technique with different saccharin concentrations. The results obtained showed that the coating thickness increased while the grain size decreased from 51 nm to 40 nm when the saccharin concentration increased from 0 to 2 g/L. The nanocrystalline CoFe coating produced with 2 g/L of saccharin concentration resulted in the smallest particle size of 71.22 nm and the highest microhardness of 251.86 HV. From the salt spray test (24 and 48 hours) it was found that the use of saccharin at higher concentration of 2 g/L improves the corrosion resistance of the nanocrystalline CoFe coating significantly due to the change of surface morphology as well as the decrease in grain size.

The KU Leuven Dayr al-Barsha project worked in al-Shaykh Sa'id, just north of Amarna, in 2007-2010 and 2014, and discovered on the hillside, north of the mouth of the Wadi Zabayda, archaeological remains of a royal domain, dating to the reign of Khufu. Afterwards, royal workshops were established on top of the Old Kingdom remains to supply the New Kingdom city of Amarna with a range of different goods. Due to severe erosion, hardly any traces of buildings survive, but the industrial waste left behind provide sufficient clues that besides a vast stone artefact industry, the artisans were also making objects in faience, glass and copper. Objects relating to the textile industry were also uncovered. The presentation will give an overview of the archaeological finds relating to the various industries active at al-Shaykh Sa'id during the Amarna-period, and a comparison will be made with the faience and glass industry in the city of Amarna.

The cobalt content of Australian foods is unknown, and as this content is, at least in part, related to the respective concentrations in the Australian soil, data collected previously in other countries may not reflect the levels in Australian produce. To compare reported food cobalt levels to that found in Australian foods, one hundred and fifty different food and beverage items from each of the major food groups were selected for analysis, based on annual sales figures in Australia. Food digests were analysed for cobalt content using a Finnigan High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer. While some variation in cobalt content was seen in a small selection of foods from different States, in general terms, the cobalt content of Australian foods is similar to that seen in data from other countries.

Ce papier se propose d'expliquer le pourquoi de la montée d'une « mondialisation compétitive » dans la quête des minerais dits stratégiques, d'un regard spécifique sur les nouveaux enjeux mondiaux de la transition énergétique, touchant le secteur automobile, et d'élucider le risque pour la RDC, avec son cobalt, de tomber dans le « piège des ressources ». À ce début du vingt-et-unième siècle, le contrôle et approvisionnement des minerais dits stratégiques ne cessent de demeurer l'enjeu majeur de différents acteurs globaux. Jusqu'à nouvel ordre, ces minerais s'imposent pour la concrétisation des projections d'un monde plus sophistiqué et écologique advenir. La montée d'une mondialisation compétitive se constate ainsi autour de ces minerais. Pour ce qui est des enjeux de la transition énergétique, touchant le secteur automobile, ainsi en transformation, le cobalt-minerai que la RDC possède en avantage quasi-absolu-est bien croché comme « nourriture stratégique » dans la chaîne productive des batteries au lithium-ion-jusqu'à preuve du contraire, composant indispensable des PHEVs. Le cobalt de la RDC se place ainsi au coeur de nouveaux enjeux mondiaux de la transition énergétique, et attire de la sorte les différents acteurs globaux dans son alentour. Une compétition sans merci s'annonce de cette manière autour de ce minerai stratégique. Compétition qui, se projette encore virulente avec la montée de la « compétition conservateurs-progressistes ». Ceci se présente non seulement comme opportunité pour la RDC d'accumuler plus des recettes et repenser son processus d'industrialisation-favorable pour son développement durable, mais aussi un risque pour elle de tomber une fois de plus dans le « piège des ressources ». Sur ce, la survie meilleure pour la RDC va ainsi dépendre de l'effectivité de sa « balance interne » vis-à-vis de différents acteurs globaux. Mots-Clés : Cobalt de la RDC, Minerai stratégique, Mondialisation compétitive, Nouveaux enjeux mondiaux, Piège des ressources. Abstract [English] This paper aims to explain why the rise of "competitive globalization" in the quest for so-called strategic minerals, to take a specific look at the new global stakes of the energy transition, affecting the automotive sector, and to elucidate the risk for DRC, with its cobalt, of falling into the "resource's trap". At this beginning of the twenty-first century, the control and supply of so-called strategic minerals continues to be a major stake of various global actors. Until further notice, these minerals are essential for the projection's realization of a more sophisticated and ecological world to come. The rise of a "competitive globalization" is thus observed around these minerals. As for the energy transition's stakes, affecting the automotive sector, thus in transformation, cobalt-a mineral that DRC possesses in quasi-absolute advantage-is well hooked as "strategic food" in the productive chain of lithium-ion batteries-until proven otherwise, an indispensable PHEVs' component. DRC's cobalt is thus at the heart of new global stakes of the energy transition, and in this manner attracts the various global actors in its vicinity. A ruthless competition is in this way shaping up around this strategic mineral [cobalt]. A competition that still projects itself as virulent with the rise of "conservatives-progressives' competition". This presents itself not only as an opportunity for DRC to accumulate more revenues and rethink its industrialization process-favorable for its sustainable development, but also as a risk for it to fall once again into the "resource's trap". On this, DRC's better survival will thus depend on the effectiveness of its "internal balance" vis-à-vis various global actors.

The density of states (DoS), electronic band structure and Fermi surfaces of compressed cobalt over 0-200 GPa and copper at 0 GPa have been simulated using ab initio density functional (DFT) calculations on Materials Studio using the DMol3 software package. Fermi surfaces and electronic band structures of copper and cobalt (fcc and hcp) are verified against the literature. The DoS for fcc (face-centered cubic) cobalt remains stable from 100–200 GPa with no anomalies. The DoS of hcp (hexagonal close-packed) cobalt shows a peak increasing to above the Fermi at 110 ± 10 GPa, this corresponds to the collapse of ferromagnetism at 120 ± 10 GPa and a crystal structure phase change from hcp to fcc into a mixed state at approximately 100 GPa. The merging of the spin up and down bands for hcp cobalt at 150 ± 10 GPa corresponds to the completion of both 3d electron pair spin coupling and also the extended transition from the mixed hcp-fcc state to a pure fcc state.

In 1969–70, a single Tang dynasty blue-spotted Gongyi sherd was found at Siraf, Iran, the main trading port on the Persian Gulf in the early Islamic period. This is the only known example of Chinese blue-and-white ware, whether low- or high-fired, found in the Middle East from such an early date. The sherd provides direct archaeological evidence for the Indian Ocean trade between China and the Middle East in the ninth century AD. The body paste, clear glaze and blue glaze or pigment were analyzed by thin-section petrography, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The technological analysis reveals the different steps of the chaîne opératoire: clay mixing, slip and glaze
application, and decoration with the cobalt blue glaze before high-temperature firing. These steps are characteristic of Tang stoneware production at Gongyi in Henan province, China.
The use of cobalt blue pigment as part of a simple spotted decoration scheme on the Gongyi sherd, and its find context within the Middle East, provides evidence for the complex interplay and influence occurring between Chinese and Middle East ceramic industries at this time.
Closely comparable examples of contemporary low-fired earthenware ceramics with cobalt blue decoration on a white tin glaze manufactured within the Middle East also occur within the same assemblage from Siraf.

A single-laboratory validation study was conducted for the simultaneous determination of arsenic, cadmium, calcium, cobalt, copper, chromium, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, and zinc in all major types of commercial fertilizer products by microwave digestion and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy analysis. This validation study proposes an extension and modification of AOAC 2006.03. The extension is the inclusion of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, and zinc, and the modification is incorporation of hydrochloric acid in the digestion system. This dual acid digestion utilizes both hydrochloric and nitric acids in a 3 to 9 mL volume ratio/100 mL. In addition to 15 of the 30 original validation materials used in the 2006.03 collaborative study, National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material 695 and Magruder 2009-06 were incorporated as accuracy materials. The main benefits of this proposed meth...

A new algorithm for simulation of chemical equilibria is developed, based on classical Newton-Raphson method applied to mass balance. This tool, named EST (Equilibrium Speciation Tool), is improved by using a robust Genetic Algorithm. In addition, EST works by using Excel spreadsheets and therefore offers the innovation of a great simplicity and versatility. In fact, it allows the users to simulate, or to obtain from experimental data, desired chemical-physical parameters as well as to interact with other available or freely created Excel tools. The reliability of this utility is here proved by comparison with some published data by other authors, concerning both complicated homogeneous and heterogeneous equilibria. In addiction its flexibility is tested computing thermodynamic parameters by using experimental calorimetric data referred to the complex formation of cobalt(II) with a macrocyclic ligand. A brief review and comparison of the relative robustness and quickness of main numerical methods are also reported.

The presence of LiCoO(2) and LiCo(x)Ni((1-x))O(2) in the cathodic material of Li-ion and Li-polymer batteries has stimulated the recovery of Co and Ni by hydrometallurgical processes. In particular, the two metals were separated by SX method and then recovered by electrochemical (galvanostatic and potentiostatic) processes. The metallic Ni has been electrowon at 250 A/m(2), pH 3-3.2 and 50 degrees C, with 87% current efficiency and 2.96 kWh/kg specific energy consumption. Potentiostatic electrolysis produces a very poor Ni powder in about 1 h with current efficiency changing from 70% to 45% depending on Ni concentration in the electrolyte. Current efficiency of 96% and specific energy consumption of 2.8 kWh/kg were obtained for Co at 250 A/m(2), pH 4-4.2 and 50 degrees C, by using a solution containing manganese and (NH(4))(2)SO(4). The Co powder, produced in potentiostatic conditions (-0.9 V vs. SCE, pH 4, room temperature) appears particularly suitable for Co recycling as cobaltit...