cobalt deposits ©2010 dr. b. c. paul special acknowledgement given to , ,,
TRANSCRIPT
Cobalt Deposits
©2010 Dr. B. C. Paul
Special Acknowledgement given to www.mindat.org, www.webmineral.com,www.minerals.net,
As Veins Above Intrusives
Black-BirdCopper CobaltDeposits
Often High Temperature Hydrothermal vein deposits
Cobaltite
CoAsS 35.5% Cobalt
Color Redish Silver White, Violet SteelGray, Grayish BlackHardness 5.5S.G. 6.33Non FluorescentMagnetic after heating Streak grayish black
Skutterudite
(Co,Ni)As2.5 Solid Solution – about 18% CobaltColor White, Light Silver GrayHardness 5.5-6S.G. 6.5Non Fluorescent Non MagneticStreak Black
Arsenopyrite
An Iron, Arsenic Sulfide usually found with SkutteruditeFeAsSHardness 5 SG 6.07 Color Tin white, Light steel gray Non FluorescentMagnetic after heatingStreak Black
Carrollite
Cu(Co,Ni)2S4 28.5% Cobalt 20.5% Copper
Color Bright SilverHardness 4.5-5.5S.G. 4.8Non Magnetic Non Fluorescent Streak Gray Black
SPHAEROCOBALTITE
CoCO3 49.5% Cobalt
Color Gray Brown, Pink, Black, Rose RedHardness 3-4S.G. 4.1Non Magnetic Non Fluorescent Streak Pink
Erythrite
Co3(AsO4)2•8(H2O) 29.53% CoHardness 1.5-2 Color Colorless, Violet red, Light pink, Purple red. SG 3.12Non Magnetic Non FluorescentStreak pinkish red
Glaucodot
(Co,Fe)AsS 26.76% CobaltColor Grayish tin white, Reddish silver white. Hardness 5SG 5.95Non FluorescentNon MagneticStreak Black
Cobalt Processing
• Cobalt is a Coproduct or Byproduct– Coproduct is where two minerals make the ore worth
while– Byproduct is where you would never mine an ore for
something, but while you are processing it is worth while to get the other ingrediant.
– Almost no ore is ever valuable for cobalt alone– Cobalt also is similar enough to copper and nickel that
it likes to stay with them in processing– Variety of ways by which cobalt can be separated.
Copper-Cobalt Sulfides
• Grind the Ore• Use Flotation to produce a concentrate of sulfide
minerals• Roast the concentrates to make oxides• Acid Leach the oxides• Precipitate out the iron and aluminum• Electrowin out the copper• Selectively precipitate out Copper, Nickel and Zinc• Finally add lime to produce cobalt hydroxide• Re-dissolve the cobalt hydroxide• Electrowin the cobalt from solution
What is Cobalt Used For?
Cobalt Uses
49
9
15
27Alloys/ AircraftEngines
Cutting Tools
Other Metals
Chemical
What Do We Have for Reserves
Metric Tonnes of Cobalt
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
Production Reserves/50
Other
Zambia
Russia
New Caledonia
Morocco
Cuba
Congo
China
Canada
Brazil
Australia
United States