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Article: Cobalt banishes Zambian blues.(cobalt mining in Zambia)
- Article from:
- African Business
- Article date:
- October 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 IC Publications Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Cobalt is a rare and valuable mineral. It is usually found with copper deposits. Zambia has some of the world's largest deposits of cobalt but outdated equipment has restricted production. Now, reports Priscilla Ross, a private company is all geared up to take full advantage of the high prevailing prices for the mineral.
During the Cold War, cobalt was described as a strategic metal. Thankfully the Cold War has been relegated to the history books but cobalt is still a scarce resource.
Cobalt is used to harden steel, for example to make jet engine parts heat resistant. It is also used to harden cutting tools. Magnetic qualities make it useful in ...