Editing Cobaltite

{{Short description|Sulfide mineral composed of cobalt, arsenic, and sulfur}}
{{Infobox mineral
| name        = Cobaltite
| category    = [[Sulfide mineral]]
| boxwidth    = 
| boxbgcolor  = 
| image       = Koboltglans.jpg
| imagesize   = 
| caption     = Cobaltite from [[Sweden]]
| formula     = CoAsS
| IMAsymbol=Cbt<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Warr|first=L.N.|date=2021|title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols|journal=Mineralogical Magazine|volume=85|issue=3|pages=291–320|doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43|bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W|s2cid=235729616|doi-access=free}}</ref>
| molweight   = 
| strunz      = 2.EB.25
| system      = [[Orthorhombic]]
| class       = Pyramidal (mm2) <br/><small>(same [[H-M symbol]])</small>
| symmetry    = ''Pc2''<sub>1</sub>b
| unit cell   = a = 5.582&nbsp;Å, <br/>b = 5.582&nbsp;Å, <br/>c = 5.582&nbsp;Å; Z&nbsp;=&nbsp;4
| color       = Reddish silver white, violet steel gray to black 
| habit       = Granular to massive, rarely as striated crystals, pseudocubic.
| twinning    = About [111] creating pseudo-cubic forms and striations
| cleavage    = Perfect on {001}
| fracture    = Uneven
| tenacity    = Brittle
| mohs        = 5.5
| luster      = Metallic
| refractive  = 
| opticalprop = 
| birefringence = 
| pleochroism = 
| streak      = Grayish-black
| gravity     = 
| density     = 6.33 g/cm<sup>3</sup>
| melt        = 
| fusibility  = 
| diagnostic  = 
| solubility  = 
| diaphaneity = Opaque
| other       = 
| references  = <ref>[https://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/MineralData?mineral=Cobaltite Mineralienatlas]</ref><ref name=Handbook>http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/cobaltite.pdf Mineral Handbook</ref><ref name=Webmin>http://webmineral.com/data/Cobaltite.shtml Webmineral data</ref><ref name=Report>https://www.corfo.cl/sites/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1475166619420&ssbinary=true {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722193444/https://www.corfo.cl/sites/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1475166619420&ssbinary=true |date=2020-07-22 }} Corfo Report</ref>
}}
'''Cobaltite''' is an [[arsenide]] and [[sulfide]] mineral with the mineral formula [[cobalt|Co]][[arsenic|As]][[sulfur|S]]. It is the naming mineral of the [[cobaltite group]] of minerals, whose members structurally resemble [[pyrite]] (FeS<sub>2</sub>).

== History ==
Cobaltite was first described in 1797 by [[Martin Heinrich Klaproth|Klaproth]].<ref name=Mindat>Page ''Cobaltite: Mineral information, data and localities'' on {{cite web | url=https://www.mindat.org/min-1093.html | title=mindat.org | publisher=[[Hudson Institute of Mineralogy]] | access-date=2024-10-05}}</ref> Its name stems from the contained element [[cobalt]], whose name is attributed to the German term ''Kobold'', referring to an "underground spirit" or "goblin". The notion of "bewitched" minerals stems from cobaltite and other cobalt ores withstanding the smelting methods of the medieval period, often producing foul-smelling, poisonous fumes in the process.<ref name=Mindat/>

== Properties ==
Cobaltite naturally appears in the form of a [[tetartoid]], a form of dodecahedron with chiral tetrahedral symmetry.

Its impurities may contain up to 10% [[iron]] and variable amounts of [[nickel]].<ref name=Klein>Klein, Cornelus and Cornrlius Hurlbut, 1996, ''Manual of Mineralogy'', 20th ed., Wiley, p.288, {{ISBN|0-471-80580-7}}</ref>

Cobaltite can be separated from other minerals by selective, pH controlled, flotation methods, where cobalt recovery usually involves [[hydrometallurgy]]. It can also be processed with [[pyrometallurgical]] methods, such as flash smelting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.danafloat.com/uk/mining_ores/copper_cobalt|title=Copper-Cobalt ores|website=www.danafloat.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-04-04}}</ref>

== Occurrences ==
Although rare, it is mined as a significant source of the strategically important metal cobalt. It occurs in high-temperature [[hydrothermal]] deposits and [[Contact metamorphism|contact metamorphic]] rocks. It occurs in association with [[magnetite]], [[sphalerite]], [[chalcopyrite]], [[skutterudite]], [[allanite]], [[zoisite]], [[scapolite]], [[titanite]], and [[calcite]] along with numerous other Co–Ni sulfides and arsenides.<ref name=Handbook/> 
It is found chiefly in [[Sweden]], [[Norway]], [[Germany]], [[Cornwall, England]], [[Canada]], La Cobaltera<references group="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-08-14/battery-boom-spurs-quest-to-resurrect-world-war-ii-cobalt-mines" />, Chile, [[Australia]], the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], and [[Morocco]].<ref name="Handbook" /><ref name="Klein" /><ref name="Report" />  Crystals have also been found at [[Khetri]] in [[Rajasthan]], and under the name ''sehta'' the mineral was used by [[Indian people|Indian]] jewellers for producing a blue [[Vitreous enamel|enamel]] on gold and silver ornaments.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y |first=Leonard James |last=Spencer |author-link=Leonard James Spencer |wstitle=Cobaltite|volume=6|page=605}}</ref>

Secondary [[weathering]] incrustations of [[erythrite]], hydrated cobalt [[arsenate]], are common.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}

A variety containing much iron replacing cobalt, and known as ferrocobaltite ({{langx|de|link=no|Stahlkobalt}}), was found at [[Siegen]] in [[North Rhine-Westphalia|Westphalia]].<ref name="EB1911"/>

==References==
<references/>
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050305132356/http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/sulfides/cobaltit/cobaltit.htm Mineral galleries]

[[File:Cobaltite-mun05-71a.jpg|thumb|left|Cubic Cobaltite, 1.6 x 1.4 x 1.1 cm, Brazil Lake Occurrence (Elizabeth Lake Mine), [[Sudbury District]], [[Ontario, Canada]] ]]
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{{commons category}}

[[Category:Cobalt minerals]]
[[Category:Iron minerals]]
[[Category:Arsenic minerals]]
[[Category:Sulfosalt minerals]]
[[Category:Orthorhombic minerals]]
[[Category:Minerals in space group 29]]
[[Category:Glances]]
[[Category:Minerals described in 1797]]