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#           Cobalt Statistics and Information      

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Statistics and information on the worldwide supply of, demand for, and flow of the mineral commodity*cobalt*

Cobalt (Co) is a metal used in numerous diverse commercial, industrial, and military applications, many of which are strategic and critical.  On a global basis, the leading use of cobalt is in rechargeable battery electrodes.  Superalloys, which are used to make parts for gas turbine engines, are another major use for cobalt.  Cobalt is also used to make airbags in automobiles; catalysts for the petroleum and chemical industries; cemented carbides (also called hardmetals) and diamond tools; corrosion- and wear-resistant alloys; drying agents for paints, varnishes, and inks; dyes and pigments; ground coats for porcelain enamels; high-speed steels; magnetic recording media; magnets; and steel-belted radial tires.

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### **Monthly Publications**

Mineral Industry Surveys
                            - Cobalt    PDF Format:      2024: |  Jan  |  Feb  |  Mar  |  Apr  |  May  |  **Jun**  |      2023: |  Jun  |  Jul  |  Aug  |  Sep  |  Oct  |  Nov  |  Dec  |    XLSX Format:      2024: |  Jan  |  Feb  |  Mar  |  Apr  |  May  |  **Jun**  |      2023: |  Jun  |  Jul  |  Aug  |  Sep  |  Oct  |  Nov  |  Dec  |

### **Annual Publications**

Mineral Commodity Summaries
                            - Cobalt    PDF Format:       |  1996  |  1997  |  1998  |  1999  |  2000  |  2001  |  2002  |  2003  |  2004  |  2005  |  2006  |  2007  |  2008  |  2009  |  2010  |  2011  |  2012  | 2013  | 2014  | 2015  | 2016  | 2017  | 2018  |  2019  |  2020  |  2021  |  2022  |  2023  |  **2024**  |
                            - Appendixes

Minerals Yearbook
                            - Cobalt    PDF Format:       |  1994  |  1994 (figures)  |  1995  |  1996  |  1997  |  1998  |  1999  |  2000  |  2001  |  2002  |  2003  |  2004  |  2005  |  2006  |  2007  |  2008  |  2009  |  2010  |  2011  |  2012  |  2013  |  2014  |  2015  |  2016  |  2017  |  2018  |  **2019**  |    XLS Format:       |  2002  |  2003  |  2004  |  2005  |  2006  |  2007  |  2008  |  2009  |  2010  |  2011  |  2012  |  2013  |  2014  |  2015  |  2016  |  2017  |  2018  |  **2019**  |  2020 tables-only release  |  **2021 tables-only release**  |  **2022 tables-only release**  | 
                            - Archive       |  1932-1993  |
                            - Recycling-Metals

### **Special Publications**

**Criticality**
                            - China's Domestic and Foreign Influence in the Global Cobalt Supply Chain  Resources Policy, August 2019
                            - Critical Minerals Review 2021
                            - Global Trends Affecting the Supply Security of Cobalt   Mining Engineering Magazine, December 2017

**Deposits and Resources**
                            - Cobalt Deposits in the United States  USGS Data Release
                            - Co-Cu-Au Deposits in Metasedimentary Rocks-A Preliminary Report    Open-File Report 2010-1212
                            - Cobalt Mineral Exploration and Supply From 1995 Through 2013    Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5084
                            - Critical Mineral Resources of the United States--Economic and Environmental Geology and Prospects for Future Supply  Professional Paper 1802                               - Cobalt 
                            - International Strategic Minerals Inventory Summary Report - Cobalt  Circular 930-F
                            - Magmatic Sulfide-Rich Nickel-Copper Deposits Related to Picrite and (or) Tholeiitic Basalt Dike-Sill Complexes-A Preliminary Deposit Model    Open-File Report 2010-1179
                            - Ni-Co Laterite Deposits of the World-Database and Grade and Tonnage Models  Open-File Report 2011-1058
                            - Sediment-Hosted Copper Deposits of the World-Deposit Models and Database  Open-File Report 03-107

**Flow Studies**
                            - Flow Studies for Recycling Metal Commodities in the United States  C-1196-A-M
                            - The Materials Flow of Cobalt in the United States  U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9350

**Historical Statistics**
                            - China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and artisanal cobalt mining from 2000 through 2020  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 120, Number 26, June 2023
                            - Historical Statistics for Mineral and Material Commodities in the United States  Data Series 140                               - Cobalt 
                            - One hundred years of cobalt production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo  Resources Policy, Volume 79, December 2022
                            - Metal Prices in the United States through 2010  Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5188
                            - Review of selected global mineral industries in 2011 and an outlook to 2017   Open-File Report 2013-1091
                            - Statistical Compendium                                - Cobalt 
                            - U.S. Mineral Dependence-Statistical Compilation of U.S. and World Mineral Production, Consumption, and Trade, 1990-2010  Open-File Report 2013-1184

**Other**
                            - Cobalt-For Strength and Color    Fact Sheet 2011-3081
                            - Factors that Influence the Price of Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Rare Earth Elements, and Zn  Open-File Report 2008-1356
                            - Material Use in the United States-Selected Case Studies for Cadmium, Cobalt, Lithium, and Nickel in Rechargeable Batteries  Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5141
                            - U.S. and Global Cobalt Statistics and Information from the USGS National Minerals Information Center  Presentation given at the CDI Cobalt Conference 2015 -- Toronto, Ontario, Canada 20-21 May 2015

### **Other Sources of Information**

                            - Recycled Metals in the United States: A Sustainable Resource. Bureau of Mines Special Publication, 1993, 76 pp.
                            - Chemical Industry Applications of Industrial Minerals and Metals. Bureau of Mines Special Publication, 1993, 158 pp.
                            - Metal Prices in the United States through 1991. Bureau of Mines Special Publication, 1993, 201 pp.

### **Links**

                            - Cobalt Institute

### Contacts

#### Samantha M Ewing

##### Physical Scientist

National Minerals Information Center

sewing@usgs.gov

703-648-6183

####             Kim Shedd (Former Employee)          

##### Scientist Emeritus (part -time)

National Minerals Information Center