Hobbies And Interests
Overview of Iron and Cobalt
Iron is an extremely common metal on earth and is abundant in the earth's crust, which contains 4.7 percent iron. It easily reacts with other metals. The most common use of iron is in creating alloys, such as with steel, which is an alloy composed of iron and carbon. Cobalt, by contrast, is not as abundant as iron, composing only about 0.002 percent of the earth's crust. It is therefore much rarer than iron. It, too, though, is mined and used heavily in industry. Cobalt is often used in creating alloys with iron and other metals. One of the advantages of using cobalt is that, unlike iron, it is corrosion-resistant.
Iron and Cobalt Alloys
Iron and cobalt are closely related in their chemical and physical properties. A third element related to iron and cobalt is nickel. Iron and nickel are mixed to form alloys used in industrial applications as is iron and cobalt. Cobalt-based alloys are not as commonly used as nickel-iron alloys, however, there are a number of advantages to cobalt alloys.
Advantages of Iron Cobalt Alloys
Iron is well known for its tendency towards oxidation, rusting. Cobalt, by contrast, is rust-resistant. The addition of cobalt to iron results in resistance to corrosion, but also results in a metal which is more wear-resistant. The iron-cobalt alloy also stands up to heat better than iron alone. Therefore, for some applications, iron-cobalt alloys are preferable. Cobalt is also used as an alloy with nickel.
Cobalt's Affect on Carbon Diffusion in Iron-Cobalt Alloys
One unique characteristic of cobalt when it is combined with iron, is that of its affect on any carbon that might be present. Unlike nickel, cobalt causes carbon to diffuse at an accelerated rate. The presence of cobalt in iron can double the diffusion rate of carbon, meaning the carbon can be diffused within the alloy with much less energy than when cobalt is not present.