cobalt

[The P.O.D.]

I am starting a thread on cobalt - producers or preferably near term producers.

Lots of companies seem to have some cobalt as part of copper or nickel operations but is there any companies focussed predominantly on cobalt?

Obviously the price has risen substantially in the past few years but I sort of think with the demand for cobalt in the aerospace industry and batteries and electric motors the demand will only increase.

Think of all the airlines replacing all their old planes. There has been some huge orders for Boeing and Airbus last year.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Huang Chung]

Been thinking the same myself after reading the following yesterday.

http://www.mineweb.co.za/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page36?oid=43655&sn=Detail

[doon]

Hi POD, Try this link from 24dec07: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22967060-18261,00.html

Under "Cobolt Bolts" ...Stand by, then, for the float of Broken Hill Cobalt. It will be a spin-out from Heritage Gold NZ,.......

This is discussed frequently on the Heritage Gold...HGD thread on Sharetrader NZX. BAP & Jess9 seem to be most up to date with all this.
Also check their web site for info http://www.heritagegold.co.nz/
Is duel listed HTM.ASX & HGD.NZX
Well worth while considering, IPO info expected very soon so be quick! Great entry point at around AU4.5c on ASX
Good luck.

[doon]

And here is another one from The Australian 7jan07
Cobalt prices got off to a good start with a sale at a post-1979 record of $US45 a pound, and everyone is confident the all-time figure of $US50 will soon be matched. Supplies from the main source, the Democratic Republic of Congo, have been disrupted and BHP Billiton and Norilsk Nickel are finding that each new sale is at a price higher than the preceding one.

Think hybrid cars. The batteries in Toyota's Prius each contain 2.5kg of cobalt, and only 65,000 tonnes are produced each year worldwide. Keep an eye out for announcements that contain the world "cobalt".

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23014048-643,00.html

[BAPP]

Here are a couple of links that provide info on cobalt.

http://www.formcap.com/s/CobaltNews.asp

http://www.formcap.com/s/IdahoCobaltProject.asp

http://cobalt.bhpbilliton.com

http://www.idahocobalt.com

http://www.thecdi.com

Cheers
BP:)

[The P.O.D.]

thanks for that. I quite like the look of HGD/HTM.

With cobalt you have to take a risk on the associated resource that comes with it - gold, nickel, or copper. Probably gold is the safest bet for this year. I think the following cobalt related stocks look promising.

BAR,HAV,JRV,MRE,SMY,HTM,VCN, CMR

[macduffy]

And we are reminded what a superb set of assets BHP is.

I guess Co will be only a "minor" product for them but still makes them a major player in that market?

[BAPP]

For an extensive overview on cobalt I recommend the following article and website:

http://www.thecdi.com/cdi/images/news_pdf/cobalt_news_jan08.pdf

The article is quite 'lenghty' but worth reading if you have time.
There are several key points relating to future production and demand.

Cheers
BP:)

[BAPP]

Cobalt is now being quoted at US$45.75c per pound.

http://cobalt.bhpbilliton.com

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that equates to about US$100,000 per metric ton.

Cheers
BP:)

[BAPP]

Cobalt price still moving up...now US$46.25

http://cobalt.bhpbilliton.com

At this rate we could easily hit US$50+ by the end of the month!

Cheers
BP:)

[BAPP]

I enjoyed this little quote from the Australian:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23014048-18261,00.html

'Keep an eye out for announcements that contain the world "cobalt".

Cobalt is now being quoted @ US$47.50 per pound. http://cobalt.bhpbilliton.com

I think the BHP management will be loving this!

Cheers
BP:)

[tobo]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/01/11/cncobalt111.xml

partial quote:
'Cobalt price soars as stockpiles run low
By Iain Dey
Last Updated: 1:37am GMT 11/01/2008
'... It [cobalt] is widely used in the defence industry. The US Defense Logistics Agency has historically kept a large stockpile of the mineral to help secure the US military's needs.
One London-based trader said the DLA held about 52m pounds of cobalt in 1993, but this has been whittled down to little more than 1.5m pounds. "The average rate of annual sales in those 14 years has been 1,650 tonnes per annum," the trader said.
"At this rate of sales the DLA will have exhausted its cobalt stocks by June of this year."

[BAPP]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/01/11/cncobalt111.xml

partial quote:
'Cobalt price soars as stockpiles run low
By Iain Dey
Last Updated: 1:37am GMT 11/01/2008
'... It [cobalt] is widely used in the defence industry. The US Defense Logistics Agency has historically kept a large stockpile of the mineral to help secure the US military's needs.
One London-based trader said the DLA held about 52m pounds of cobalt in 1993, but this has been whittled down to little more than 1.5m pounds. "The average rate of annual sales in those 14 years has been 1,650 tonnes per annum," the trader said.
"At this rate of sales the DLA will have exhausted its cobalt stocks by June of this year."

Hi Tobo,

.. and the price has jumped again, with BHP now quoting US$48.25 per pound

Time to see the BHCL IPO getting underway!

Cheers
BP:)

[BAPP]

From: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23046227-18261,00.html

Charge in cobalt

THREE of the companies mentioned above - Albidon, Sally Malay and Minara - should also be on investors' minds because of their by-product: cobalt.

Cobalt goes into batteries, and the multiplicity of gadgets that depend on batteries just keeps growing, as was shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week.

Samsung launched an Armani mobile phone with which to accessorise that Italian gear you have hanging in the wardrobe. Or what about a lifestyle laptop shaped like a women's handbag, or a Ladybug iPod docking station for the tween and teen markets? Whirlpool unveiled a refrigerator complete with a multi-port docking station for charging iPods and laptops. Show-goers saw the new robot with which you can keep on eye on your valuables while away from home by directing the machine from your mobile.

Cobalt, which has been on the Pure Speculation watchlist for some months, edged up another $US1 to $US46 a pound, higher than it's been since 1979.

A report from London says BHP Billiton was digging in its toes on an asking price of $US47.50/lb when the market closed on Friday. The report also notes that the US Defense Logistics Agency has run down its cobalt stockpile from 52 million pounds in 1993 to 1.5 million pounds, meaning that stocks will be exhausted by June. The US depends almost entirely on imports for its cobalt.

There are other companies to watch, too. Vulcan Resources is certainly one. It has just received its environmental permit to start mining its Kylylahti copper-cobalt deposit in Finland. The cobalt grade there is a high 0.24 per cent, and Vulcan expects first ore out of the ground by the second half of 2009.

Last year Central West Gold hit a grade of 3.36 per cent near Grafton, NSW, and bits of rock pulled from the old copper mining waste dumps have produced assays of more than 10 per cent. The records from 1906 show that the copper operation reported high grades of cobalt then.

Central West expects a drilling rig to turn up at the gate in the next week or two and at least eight more holes will be sunk as the company tries to understand just how extensive the mineralisation is. Cobalt is normally a by-product, but here it is the main target, with copper and gold as the by-products.

end.

Cheers
BP

PS: I believe the details of the BHCL IPO should be released in the next few weeks also..this will be one company that's primary focus is cobalt production!

[BAPP]

Cobalt price soars as stockpiles run low
Publisher: telegraph.co.uk

The slew of gadgets and gizmos unveiled at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas could soon become much more expensive to run than anyone had previously imagined. The latest news from the oil, mining and gas industries- Cobalt, the key mineral used to make electric batteries, has soars to a new record high. Strong demand and scarce supply pushed prices in Europe to $46 a pound.

BHP Billiton, the London-listed mining giant, was only willing to sell stock at $47.50 by close of trade, according to traders. The price has soared by about $5 in the past week and is 70 per cent above the levels seen a year ago. With stockpiles being run down, the price looks set to climb further.

"There's no metal around, producers are sold out," said one European trader. Cobalt is a key component in manufacturing lithium-ion batteries, one of the most common types of rechargeable battery used in consumer electronics. Radioactive versions of cobalt are used in the treatment of cancer as a tracer that can monitor drugs passing through the body.

It is widely used in the defence industry. The US Defense Logistics Agency has historically kept a large stockpile of the mineral to help secure the US military's needs. One London-based trader said the DLA held about 52m pounds of cobalt in 1993, but this has been whittled down to little more than 1.5m pounds.

"The average rate of annual sales in those 14 years has been 1,650 tonnes per annum," the trader said. "At this rate of sales the DLA will have exhausted its cobalt stocks by June of this year."

[BAPP]

From: http://www.formcap.com/s/CobaltNews.asp

Congo deals major blow to miners
Publisher: MINING REPORTER
Author: ANDY HOFFMAN

Government reopens all contracts, saying it wants a bigger slice of profits

Scores of mining companies hoping to tap the billions of dollars worth of mineral riches in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were dealt a major setback yesterday after the government indicated it wanted a bigger slice of their profits and said that all mining contracts would have to be renegotiated.

Congo's vice-minister of mines Victor Kasongo said that a "brief and open" appeal process will be created to help "fast track" the renegotiations.

In an address to a mining conference in South Africa, Mr. Kasongo said that when a government panel was formed last April to study the validity and fairness of 61 mining contracts, it expected it would have to rectify a few agreements.

"We actually found that we had not a single contract that was properly constituted. What was meant to be a minor corrective has turned out to be multiple, major surgery," he said.

[BAPP]

The price of cobalt looks likely to hit $50/pound fairly soon, with BHP now quoting $49.25.

http://cobalt.bhpbilliton.com/

Cheers
BP

[BAPP]

That was quick!

Last sale by BHP @ US$50/pound.

http://cobalt.bhpbilliton.com/

Cheers
BP

[BAPP]

Cobalt sees another bull run
Publisher: Metal-Pages
LONDON (Metal-Pages) 22-Feb-08. The cobalt market is seeing another bull run similar to the gains seen at the end of 2007, with traders saying they expect the market to go higher and that Russian grade material will also soon hit the $50/lb mark.

The current screen price for Russian material shown by Norilsk Nickel however is $46.40/lb, and this price was published on the 20 February.

Meanwhile BHP Billiton raised its screen offer price to $52.50/lb this week following a sale of 5 tonnes of material at $51/lb on 19 February. However, BHP Billiton has yet to find takers at the $52.50/lb level.

A trader said: "The bull run continues, the price will soon go to $60-65/lb, in the next year consumption is is expected to reach 75,000 tons and there is a 30% growth in demand. Consumers are ringing me up at midnight." He quoted a price of $51-53/lb for high grade material and $48-50/lb for Russian material.

Another trader agreed: "The market is very strong, it has come into its own, consumers are short and are desperate for material for March delivery, they are looking for ways to pause the bull run but they can't he said, adding that demand is particularly strong from Japan.

He quoted $52/lb for Falconbridge material and $47/lb for Russian material. However a third trader said that while there is no question the market is firmer, the bull's views are to be taken with a pinch of salt. "We have had a lot of enquiries, but have not bookd a lot of high grade material, customers are reluctant to pay the higher prices and no one will pay $50/lb for Russian material. The higher numbers are partly due to market manipulation," he said.

-END-

[ScrappyO]

An Article that says Cobalt has hit its highs.

http://www.mineweb.co.za/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page36?oid=49546&sn=Detail

[BAPP]

http://www.formcap.com/s/CobaltNews.asp

Cobalt falls to 9-month low

LONDON (Metal-Pages) 17-July-08. The cobalt market has fallen to a nine-month low, trading at its lowest since November 2007, with market players saying they expect the price to fall further in the next few months.

The price for high grade material was quoted at a range of $ 38-40/lb and Russian material was quoted at $ 35-37/lb. BHP Billiton lowered its screen offer price this morning by $ 2/lb to $ 40/lb and Norislk Nickel also lowered its inidcative price for 99.3% cobalt today to $ 37.50/lb down $ 1.5/lb from $ 39/lb.

Traders reported that the cobalt market was trading at a $ 5/lb backwardation over the next three to six months.

A UK trader said: "The market is in a fairly stiff backwardation - there is business going on in ever decreasing numbers and the theme continues with the prices moving down and I think they are going to move down further. People are trying to find buyers, BHP is looking to sell, but consumers are waiting until they need metal. There is no weakness in demand, it's just that consumers are not going to buy until the price is lower still."

However, a more bullish trader said that while he anticipated further falls in the cobalt price in the next month, he expected the market to rally in September.

"The lower it goes the bigger the bounce, I wouldn't be surprised to see the price at $ 150/lb next year - I think it will catch everyone by surprise," he said.

He noted that Airbus has commissioned 40 billion dollars worth of aircraft over the next five years and that next year there will be demand for 5,000 tons of cobalt for hybrid cars.
end.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Cheers
BP:)

[BAPP]

The hi-tech metal that could save the airline industry
Publisher: Moneyweek.com
Author: Chris Mayer

In investing, the prospect of crisis has always been a sort of summons for me. It's like when I was a little boy and the ice cream truck's jingle sent me running for loose change on a hot summer day. These days, I'm just trying to get at goodies of a different sort -- profitable investment ideas, instead of ice cream bars.

And today's aviation industry has a big crisis on its hands. As a percentage of airline costs, fuel is now about 35% of the total -- up from only 13% at the start of the decade. It is the airline industry's No. 1 expense. The cost of fuel puts enormous pressure on the industry. At the same time, regulators are pushing for cleaner planes with fewer emissions.

"The price of oil has challenged and changed all realities for the aviation industry," says Tim Clark president of Emirates, a Dubai-based carrier. "This is the greatest crisis in aviation's history -- bigger than the Gulf wars, Sept. 11, SARS and past oil shocks."

If oil prices stay where they are and nothing else changes, the airline industry will lose about $6 billion this year, compared with a profit of $5.6 billion last year. Many airlines will be taking that familiar stroll into the bankruptcy courts. Globally, 24 airlines have already filed in just last the seven months.

The industry is trying -- and will try -- lots of different tactics to fend off elimination. One of these is to push for more fuel-efficient aircraft. And that is the opportunity for investors to cash in on this crisis.

It starts with the jet engine. Today's Wall Street Journal published "Jet Engine Makers Launch New War" -- all about the drive for new fuel-efficient engines. The piece notes that airlines worldwide want to replace their existing fleets with next-generation planes, not the current oil-guzzling models. The goal of the jet engine makers -- or rather, the mandate put to them by their customers -- is to deliver at least double-digit gains in fuel-efficiency.

As the WSJ reports: "Developing fuel-efficient engines requires the use of exotic alloys and ceramic coatings that can cope with internal engine temperatures that would be above the melting points of untreated metal components."

Enter cobalt. It's a tough metal with a high melting point of 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit. This higher melting point allows it to maintain its strength at higher temperatures than other metals can. Cobalt alloys have higher melting points than either nickel or iron alloys.

As a result, one of the main uses of cobalt is in superalloys such as those that jet engine makers need. In fact, the making of superalloys consumed about a quarter of global cobalt production, of which about 75% wound up in aircraft.

Cobalt would seem to have a nice backdrop of long-term demand. But it doesn't stop there. Defense spending is also on the rise globally. A Financial Times report on aerospace notes that India, China, Brazil and certain Middle Eastern countries are all upping their defense spending. India alone may spend $40 billion in 2009.

Cobalt is an important part of all that, too. In fact, the U.S. and the Soviet Union used to stockpile cobalt for defense purposes. Those stockpiles are long gone, but the role cobalt plays in defense still exists.

As exciting as the aerospace angle is, a potentially bigger market could be batteries for hybrid cars. As I pointed out in the last issue, there are 5-10 pounds of cobalt in a typical hybrid car battery. Hybrid car sales will probably hit 500,000 cars this year. And that is growing rapidly.

Kitco recently noted that cobalt holds an electric charge better than almost any other metal. That makes it hard to replace, even at $50 per pound. "And the current electric batteries work so well," Kitco notes, "[that] there is little incentive to change their structure (and other metal prices have skyrocketed, as well as cobalt -- nothing is cheap anymore)."

With the failure of banks and the troubles of big financials such as Fannie Mae, cobalt seems a nice place to be. A while ago, I recommended a "cobalt play" to the readers of my investment service, Mayer's Special Situations. The name of the stocks is OM Group (NYSE: OMG). I should warn you that the stock is a bit speculative. But let me share a few of the particulars...

OMG carries a seemingly absurd valuation. It's not often that you find profitable and growing companies with no net debt trading for big discounts to book value. The specialty chemical industry -- a tribe to which OMG belongs -- is undergoing heavy consolidation. Companies are getting bought out left and right. Dow Chemical bought Rohm and Haas for a 74% premium. And then Ashland came along and bought Hercules for a 38% premium.

Companies that make low-margin chemicals are looking to beef up on companies that make high-margin, or specialty, chemicals. Because OMG is cheap and very profitable, it has to be on someone's radar. I hope that it doesn't get bought out. I think we'll do better holding the stock. But the deal-happy scene in the chemical business is another potential backstop of value here.

Hard to believe that anyone could buy all of OMG for anything less than at least book -- which is $36 per share. And even that would bring howls of protest. After all, the stock was in the $50s for much of the past year. We will see.

In any event, let's bring this back around to the aviation crisis. A familiar theme in the pages of my letters over the years has been this Templetonian notion of focusing on the opportunities that problems present. The late great John Templeton made this idea a key component of his investment -- and life -- philosophy.

The high price of oil is a big problem for many industries.

So if you have a good way to mitigate the high price of oil, you have a business. I think the big winners over the next few years are going to be those companies that have a solution to the high price of oil. Those companies have products that other people will pay up for, because fuel-efficiency is a must. The aerospace industry must become more fuel-efficient.

Cobalt alloys will be a big part of that trend.

This article was written by Chris Mayer for Whiskey and Gunpowder

-END-

[BAPP]

Extract:

4 Commodities Ready To Shock Investors – #4: Demand Surging, Supply Uncertain for Cobalt

As if the oil price shock that has thrown the world into turmoil isn’t bad enough, there’s reason to believe at least four more commodity price shocks may be headed straight for investors’ portfolios.

Last up: cobalt, a commodity that attracts surprisingly little media attention, given how uncertain its supply is in the face of surging demand.

To read the full article go to:
http://energytechstocks.com/wp/?p=1496

Cheers
BP:)

[BAPP]

For anyone interested

http://www.formcap.com/s/CobaltNews.asp

Cobalt Typifies The Bull Market
Publisher: minesite
Author: Rob Davies
Cobalt is one of those metals that everyone is familiar with in a vague sort of way. Most are dimly aware that is probably used in high technology applications, but would struggle to name a primary cobalt mine or producer. And as for so many speciality metals, the cobalt market is actually quite a small market. Metals consultancy CRU estimates that the total market in 2007 was for only 60,000 tonnes.

But that demand is surprisingly widespread. One third of consumption goes into what is deemed environmental applications, such as solar panels and fuel cells. A bit more, about 36 per cent, is used for industrial applications such as drill bits and ball bearings. Surprisingly turbine blades and jet engines only accounts for 22 per cent of cobalt use. The remaining nine per cent is consumed in the electronics industry in things such as hard drives, memory chips and cell phones. That is a pretty widespread range of uses in what can loosely be called technological applications. Beyond that, cobalt is being tested for use in products such as lithium ion batteries and hydrogen storage systems. If the world is going to continue increasing its use of technology then it is hard not to believe that cobalt has a big future ahead of it. That's why consumption of this metal is expected to rise to 75,000 tonnes by 2010 and to 100,000 tonnes by 2012. In mining terms those dates are not very far away.

So who will supply this metal? Formation Capital is building an integrated mine and processing facility in Idaho with a total contained cobalt resource of 13 million pounds or nearly 6,000 tonnes. Formation clearly hopes to be part of the equation. Right now supply comes from a variety of sources, mostly as by-product of nickel and copper mining, though there is one primary mine in Morocco and one in the US. Much will come out of the Congolese copperbelt, mostly as by-product.

But the Cobalt Development Institute, a not-for-profit industry body designed to promote cobalt, estimates that these various sources generated about 53,000 tonnes of refined cobalt in 2007. That leaves a pretty big gap between what is currently produced and what will be needed in two years time. Not only will be the demand for cobalt be rising sharply, but the demand for the highest level of purity, 99.999%, is forecast to rise even more rapidly. Only about 5,500 tonnes of out of total cobalt metal production of about 23,000 tonnes is suitable for critical superalloy applications. It's estimated that the industry needs to provide another 1,000 tonnes a year of high purity cobalt to match demand.

Only two companies today provide this high quality material, Vale and Xstrata, the new owners of the two Canadian nickel miners Inco and LionOre. More supply will be provided as by-products from new mines in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo. But there is substantial risk to these, especially in terms of timing. Although US$40 a pound might look expensive now, if these projections are right, then US$40 could look like a bargain in a few years time. There may be some speculation in some precious and base metals, but cobalt is so specialised that it would be difficult for traders to build up a large position in this metal. This fundamental situation suggests that, despite what some pundits are saying, the end of the commodity boom for this metal is not in sight just yet.

-END-

[BAPP]

MIT splits water with sunlight
Publisher: The Chemical Engineer, London, UK
Author: Claudia Flavell-White
SPLITTING WATER INTO hydrogen and oxygen at room temperature using solar power, under benign conditions and without the need for expensive catalysts: it's the holy grail of the hydrogen economy. Now, researchers at the MIT claim they found it.

Writing in the 31 July issue of Science, MIT chemistry professor Daniel Nocera and postdoctoral fellow Matthew Kanan say they have developed a practical way of generating plentiful supplies of hydrogen gas to power cars, houses etc. Their discovery hinges on a novel cobalt/phosphate catalyst that forms a film on the anode which in turn cleaves the oxygen from water when a current runs through it. A conventional platinum catalyst produces hydrogen at the cathode. The process works at room temperature, uses water at neutral pH, and is easy to set up, raising hopes that it will be straightforward to develop and scale up, and hopefully economic to run at large scale.

The researchers are still working to understand the exact mechanism of catalysis at the anode. They know that cobalt ions and phosphate ions were observed to form a thin dark film on the indium tin oxide anode, and that it was this film that appeared to act as the catalyst -- but whether it is Co3+ or Co4+ ions that eventually pull electrons from water to leave behind oxygen atoms and H+ protons is still not entirely certain. However, they have observed that the cobalt phosphate film catalyst appears to regenerate itself, which would make it infinitely more practical for everyday commercial application.

While it is of course already possible to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, current technologies consume vast amounts of power and a lot of expensive platinum to catalyse the process, and operate in a harshly alkaline environment. By contrast, Nocera and Kanan's set-up works on standard water and even appears to tolerate some impurities.

Interestingly, their breakthrough is the result of Nocera questioning some basic assumptions of catalysis. Frustrated by his lack of progress, Nocera decided to abandon the usual rule to use very stable catalysts that aren't corroded by the reactions they catalyse. By contrast, the cobalt phosphorous film that acts as catalyst breaks down as soon as the current is cut -- but it reassembles as soon as power is restored.

"This is the nirvana of what we've been talking about for years," says Nocera. "Solar power has always been a limited, far-off solution. Now we can seriously think about solar power as unlimited and soon."

Other experts concur. James Barber, biochemistry professor and photosynthesis expert at Imperial College London, says: "This is a major discovery with enormous implications for the future prosperity of humankind. The importance of [Nocera and Kanan's] discovery cannot be overstated."

Nocera says that in ten years' time, efficient, effective photovoltaic cells could provide all the necessary power for household during the day, using excess energy to generate hydrogen for household fuel cells that would provide power over night. Electricity-by-wire from a central source could be a thing of the past, he believes.

Before this happens, plenty of work remains to be done. The efficiency and speed of the oxygen-production has to be speeded up. Then the whole arrangement needs to be connected to an energy source -- preferably wind or solar -- on one end and an electricity-producing fuel cell on the other. Finally, scientists hope to find an alternative for platinum both at the cathode and to catalyse the reverse reaction of hydrogen and oxygen into water: with platinum costing over $2000 per troy ounce, a cheaper replacement would go a long way to making both the water reactor and the fuel cell affordable at scale.

The solution to at least the second half of this final challenge may be closer at hand than thought: a materials scientists in Australia says that a combination of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and Gore-tex -- a polymer widely used for water-repellent outdoor and sports clothing -- could replace platinum as the fuel cell catalyst of choice. PEDOT is a conducting polymer which, coated onto a Gore-tex membrane, is just as effective as a fuel cell catalyst as platinum. And unlike platinum, the polymer catalyst is not subject to carbon monoxide poisoning, which can occur in platinum-catalysed fuel cells.

Doug MacFarlane, professor of chemistry at the Australian Centre for Electromaterials Science, says: "The cost of the platinum component alone of current fuel cells for a small car with a 100kW electric engine is more than the total cost of an 100kW gasoline engine. Also current annual world production of platinum is only sufficient for about 3 million 100kW vehicles, less than one-twentieth of the current annual global production of vehicles." In other words, if we ever want to replace conventional cars with fuel cell models, finding an alternative to the platinum catalyst is a must.

-END-

[Financially dependant]

MIT splits water with sunlight
Publisher: The Chemical Engineer, London, UK
Author: Claudia Flavell-White
SPLITTING WATER INTO hydrogen and oxygen at room temperature using solar power, under benign conditions and without the need for expensive catalysts: it's the holy grail of the hydrogen economy. Now, researchers at the MIT claim they found it.

Writing in the 31 July issue of Science, MIT chemistry professor Daniel Nocera and postdoctoral fellow Matthew Kanan say they have developed a practical way of generating plentiful supplies of hydrogen gas to power cars, houses etc. Their discovery hinges on a novel cobalt/phosphate catalyst that forms a film on the anode which in turn cleaves the oxygen from water when a current runs through it. A conventional platinum catalyst produces hydrogen at the cathode. The process works at room temperature, uses water at neutral pH, and is easy to set up, raising hopes that it will be straightforward to develop and scale up, and hopefully economic to run at large scale.

The researchers are still working to understand the exact mechanism of catalysis at the anode. They know that cobalt ions and phosphate ions were observed to form a thin dark film on the indium tin oxide anode, and that it was this film that appeared to act as the catalyst -- but whether it is Co3+ or Co4+ ions that eventually pull electrons from water to leave behind oxygen atoms and H+ protons is still not entirely certain. However, they have observed that the cobalt phosphate film catalyst appears to regenerate itself, which would make it infinitely more practical for everyday commercial application.

While it is of course already possible to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, current technologies consume vast amounts of power and a lot of expensive platinum to catalyse the process, and operate in a harshly alkaline environment. By contrast, Nocera and Kanan's set-up works on standard water and even appears to tolerate some impurities.

Interestingly, their breakthrough is the result of Nocera questioning some basic assumptions of catalysis. Frustrated by his lack of progress, Nocera decided to abandon the usual rule to use very stable catalysts that aren't corroded by the reactions they catalyse. By contrast, the cobalt phosphorous film that acts as catalyst breaks down as soon as the current is cut -- but it reassembles as soon as power is restored.

"This is the nirvana of what we've been talking about for years," says Nocera. "Solar power has always been a limited, far-off solution. Now we can seriously think about solar power as unlimited and soon."

Other experts concur. James Barber, biochemistry professor and photosynthesis expert at Imperial College London, says: "This is a major discovery with enormous implications for the future prosperity of humankind. The importance of [Nocera and Kanan's] discovery cannot be overstated."

Nocera says that in ten years' time, efficient, effective photovoltaic cells could provide all the necessary power for household during the day, using excess energy to generate hydrogen for household fuel cells that would provide power over night. Electricity-by-wire from a central source could be a thing of the past, he believes.

Before this happens, plenty of work remains to be done. The efficiency and speed of the oxygen-production has to be speeded up. Then the whole arrangement needs to be connected to an energy source -- preferably wind or solar -- on one end and an electricity-producing fuel cell on the other. Finally, scientists hope to find an alternative for platinum both at the cathode and to catalyse the reverse reaction of hydrogen and oxygen into water: with platinum costing over $2000 per troy ounce, a cheaper replacement would go a long way to making both the water reactor and the fuel cell affordable at scale.

The solution to at least the second half of this final challenge may be closer at hand than thought: a materials scientists in Australia says that a combination of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and Gore-tex -- a polymer widely used for water-repellent outdoor and sports clothing -- could replace platinum as the fuel cell catalyst of choice. PEDOT is a conducting polymer which, coated onto a Gore-tex membrane, is just as effective as a fuel cell catalyst as platinum. And unlike platinum, the polymer catalyst is not subject to carbon monoxide poisoning, which can occur in platinum-catalysed fuel cells.

Doug MacFarlane, professor of chemistry at the Australian Centre for Electromaterials Science, says: "The cost of the platinum component alone of current fuel cells for a small car with a 100kW electric engine is more than the total cost of an 100kW gasoline engine. Also current annual world production of platinum is only sufficient for about 3 million 100kW vehicles, less than one-twentieth of the current annual global production of vehicles." In other words, if we ever want to replace conventional cars with fuel cell models, finding an alternative to the platinum catalyst is a must.

-END-

It didn't take the T.O.D to refute those claims:eek:

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4378#more

for your pleasure.

[BAPP]

It didn't take the T.O.D to refute those claims:eek:

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4378#more
for your pleasure.

Hi Financially dependant,

Thanks for the link... I found it very interesting reading. (Will be keeping 'an eye' on this one.)

Cheers
BP:)

[ScrappyO]

Down..Down.....Down 63% in a Month

http://cobalt.bhpbilliton.com/

[macduffy]

Down..Down.....Down 63% in a Month

http://cobalt.bhpbilliton.com/

Yes, the strong, surviving miners ( not just in cobalt ) will be making a killing at some point once all the marginals have gone to the wall.

BHP and RIO, anyone?

;)

[Joshuatree]

Cobalt up to $50,000 a tonne atm

http://business.financialpost.com/i...ke-reins-from-lithium-in-2017?__lsa=817f-49ac (http://business.financialpost.com/investing/trading-desk/cobalt-may-take-reins-from-lithium-in-2017?__lsa=817f-49ac)

[cammo]

Any baby startups in Co on the ASX at moment?

[Joshuatree]

Im sitting on RIR atm and plan to sell before first drill.

[Joshuatree]

And JBMurc started thread on cobalt blue COB

[denpal]

DGR announced something this week, about cobalt drill targets plus gold targets that sounded very rich, in Charters Towers. The share price is going great. I hold these.

[cammo]

Know about BPL and CoB just released. I'll have a look at Dgr.

This is a burgeoning metal. Will go well if BPL/COB can get some out of the ground in a hurry. Demand will outstrip supply for a significant period.
They've just released IPO , but it may pay to sit on hands for a while. I always get in too early on mining shares. Sick of two rounds of cap raising before anything happens.

[Joshuatree]

ARV PDF (http://www.asx.com.au/asx/statistics/displayAnnouncement.do?display=pdf&idsId=01827551) high grade cobalt

[Joshuatree]

CLQ and BAR two more int ones both ascending nicely. Anyone in?

[Joshuatree]

CLQ is on the TSX

[Joshuatree]

RIR has worked out as i sold on announcement today for a 50% gain(thanks to you know who for the idea ). Tipped some gains into GTE ,with some tenements next door, with arguably more prospective ground for a range of metals besides cobalt esp gold atm.

[Joshuatree]

CLQ is on the TSX

Apologies CLQ on ASX too ; heres the presentation.

https://www.google.com.au/amp/www.cultofmac.com/461076/nuheara-iqbuds-smart-wireless-earbuds/amp/

[shasta]

Anyone tracking EQU, i'm still evaluating them but looks another good option as a cobalt play

[Joshuatree]

Very prospective pure play thanks shasta. Has run up a hell of a lot in anticipation of aero magnetic survey and first drill in 2nd qtr... A lot of silver taken out by Teck; when cobalt was worth nothing as a byproduct!!.Download Document 1.82MB (https://hotcopper.com.au/documentdownload?id=uOMxKKzFkiWRTLKhOROKAxjvTDYC4g y9yhCZpeZske92GA%3D%3D)

[Joshuatree]

http://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/f33sp--buh53-5l3mgn74 (https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/f33sp--buh53-5l3mgn74)

From Sprott re why cobalt will be bigger than lithium

[silverblizzard888]

If you're looking one of the cheapest in terms of market cap ($10 - 12 million) and with high grade of Cobalt based on historical data then check out CLA. While the rest run wild between $20- $50 million its worth checking out.

[Joshuatree]

ARV PDF (http://www.asx.com.au/asx/statistics/displayAnnouncement.do?display=pdf&idsId=01827551) high grade cobalt

Anyone buy these? 6.54 % cobalt hit 6.54% Cobalt in Drilling Results Carlow Castle (https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/3377085/)

[JBmurc]

Anyone buy these? 6.54 % cobalt hit 6.54% Cobalt in Drilling Results Carlow Castle (https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/3377085/)

Lost a good chunk on ARV back in its Gold days ....

[Joshuatree]

Cobalt being sold for US$36.39 lb atm.Thats US$72,780.00 per American short ton or$US81,513.00 a tonne... Good sector to target atm.

[Dej]

Cobalt being sold for US$36.39 lb atm.Thats US$72,780.00 per American short ton or$US81,513.00 a tonne... Good sector to target atm.

What are your picks?

[Joshuatree]

ARV EQE BAR COB all up with this new pricing hitting the mkts.Any other faves please?
I picked up some NZC. Not a recco DYOR
Company Presentation for RRS conference on 5 & 7 December (https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/3881909/)

[shasta]

MLX have a huge Ni/Co project with over 150kt Cobalt, estimated 4kt per annum when in production.

AUZ bought the MLM project containing decent sized cobalt resource, have other cobalt projects too

NMT have an interesting expected high margin project recycling cobalt from old batteries for reuse.

CZI - very undervalued company with massive Cu/Ni resource, which will include Cobalt + PGE by product credits

CLQ - large company now with Cobalt co-product, not by product, high value component

WSA - Ni focussed company already in production, with small cobalt by credits - i've included as Ni will play a crucial role in new battery technology, as containing more Nickel and graphite than cobalt and lithium in the batteries.

Disc; holding WSA and NMT as i believe these companies already in production, are well positioned to benefit from the new battery/ev car boom

[Joshuatree]

Excellent, thanks for sharing shasta.

WSA 2017 AGM Corporate Presentation (https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/3860056/)

NMTInvestor Presentation (https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/3863294/)

[Joshuatree]

Adding LEG. Cu Co Ni assays
Download Document 1.16MB (https://hotcopper.com.au/documentembed?id=uOMxKKzFkiWRTLKhOROKAxjvTDYC5Qq0y RaZrPJ%2Bke92GA%3D%3D)

[shasta]

Excellent, thanks for sharing shasta.

WSA 2017 AGM Corporate Presentation (https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/3860056/)

NMTInvestor Presentation (https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/3863294/)

https://stocknessmonster.com/announcements/nmt.asx-6A865179/

After market presentation with updates

[Joshuatree]

$10 mill cornerstone investment into NZC
Download Document 916.57KB (https://hotcopper.com.au/documentembed?id=uOMxKKzFkiWRTLKhOROKAxjvTDYC5Qu4y ReZru16ke92GA%3D%3D)

[Dej]

$10 mill cornerstone investment into NZC
Download Document 916.57KB (https://hotcopper.com.au/documentembed?id=uOMxKKzFkiWRTLKhOROKAxjvTDYC5Qu4y ReZru16ke92GA%3D%3D)

Very large spec one is CHK - trading like a shell (basically is). It's attempting to become Cobalt X. Not a favorite at the moment but has similar management to QUR who went from 0.5cps to 5cps pretty fast.

[Joshuatree]

Cheers for that Dej. heres a promo for NZC.

https://youtu.be/sQ6heOkesJ8

[JBmurc]

I see IRC owns permits right next door to ARL >>>(110mill Cobalt) and has good historic cobalt exploration results from very minor exploration
done by previous permit owners >>>

[cammo]

JB what say you to the nkp takeover offer ?

[Joshuatree]

big overnight drop


Cobalt (https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/cobalt)


price
59,450
indicator


5,550.00

daily

-8.54%

weekly

-14.77%

monthly

-18.56%

yearly

5.69%