Battery & alloySymbol: Co
Cobalt
Critical cathode material in lithium-ion batteries; also superalloys.
Assessed Benchmark
$16.10
lbSource: CME futures
24HUp 0.3%
YTDUp 5.8%
Criticality Assessment & Strategic Uses
Cobalt is designated as a critical mineral due to its high economic importance across modern technical applications and potential supply-chain concentration risks.
Primary Industrial End-UsesPower electronics, specialized alloys, defense systems, infrastructure networks.
USGS StatusClassified under Energy Act Section 7002 quantitative risk framework.
Supply Chain & Processing Bottlenecks
Like many strategic commodities, the primary vulnerability for Cobalt lies in processing and chemical refining concentration rather than raw extraction alone.
IEA 2026 Supply Insight
Refining capacity diversification for Cobalt remains constrained by technical know-how requirements, long capital deployment cycles, and environmental permitting timelines.
Classification Matrix
- Category Group
- battery
- Subcategory
- Battery & alloy
- System Tag Alignment
- batteriessuperalloys
Explore Related Frameworks
Compare how Cobalt is prioritized across national critical mineral strategies.
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