Poem

Cobalt

Cobalt was discovered in 1737

and has an atomic number of 27

Used by artists to color blue

Swedish George Brandt made its debut

With an atomic weight of 58.9332

Used in many alloys galore

Naturally found as part of an ore

Beautiful blues in porcelain, glass, or tiles

Superalloys keep aircraft engines going for miles

Cobalt is also part of Vitamin B12 in your grocery aisles

My Favorite Song

Buddha Lounge Ensemble. “Cobalt Blue.” Sleeping Buddha - Relax and Sleep Meditation, 2008. I chose this song because cobalt is blue and this song expresses a blue mood.

My Job

I work with my friends, iron and nickel, to make the alloy alnico, which has unusual magnetic strength and many important uses. With help from my coworkers, chromium and tungsten, I make the alloy stellite, which is used for high-speed, heavy-duty, high temperature cutting tools. I am a metal and help in electroplating because of my appearance, hardness, and resistance to oxidation. I am often used in magnetic steels and stainless steels, and in alloys used in jet turbines and gas turbine generators. I allow my salts to continue to be used to produce brilliant and permanent blue colors in glass, pottery, and tiles.

Interesting Facts

•    A single compact source of Cobalt-60 varies from about $1 to $10.

•    In German, my name means goblin or evil spirit. In Greek, my name means mine.