Alaska cobalt

More than 200 ores are known to contain cobalt but only a few are of commercial value. The more important are arsenides and sulfides such as smaltite, C0AS2, cobaltite (or cobalt glance), CoAsS, and linnaeite, C03S4. These are invariably associated with nickel, and often also with copper and lead, and it is usually obtained as a byproduct or coproduct in the recovery of these metals. The world s major sources of cobalt are the African continent and Canada with smaller reserves in Australia and the former USSR. All the platinum metals are generally associated with each other and rhodium and iridium therefore occur wherever the other platinum metals are found. However, the relative proportions of the individual metals are by no means constant and the more important sources of rhodium are the nickel-copper-sulfide ores found in South Africa and in Sudbury, Canada, which contain about 0.1% Rh. Iridium is usually obtained from native osmiridium (Ir 50%) or iridiosmium (Ir 70%) found chiefiy in Alaska as well as South Africa. 

Figure 3 Depth profiles for nitrate and filterable concentrations of trace element nutrients (iron, zinc, and cobalt) in the subarctic North Pacific Ocean (ocean station Papa, 50.0°N, 145.0°W, Aug. 1987). Data from Martin JH, Gordon RM, Fitzwater S, and Broenkow WW (1989) VERTEX Phytoplankton/iron studies in the Gulf of Alaska. Deep-Sea Research 36 649-680.

Cobalt deposits have also been found in Idaho and Alaska. The amount of cobalt obtained from scrap has been increasing as well. Lastly, through engineering improvements, jet engines today require a little less cobalt than what was previously required. 

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