# Cobalt: Relationships

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/links/

Every element and industry that Cobalt is linked to, and how. Each pair has its own card explaining the relationships between the two.

- [Aerospace and defence](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/aerospace-and-defence-and-cobalt/): Cobalt is a small but essential ingredient of jet engine superalloys: aerospace used about 11.5 kt in 2025, a fraction of battery demand, yet about three quarters of mined cobalt comes from Congo, whose export quotas now set availability and price. *(researched)*
- [Vehicles, ships, rail, aircraft](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/cobalt-and-vehicles-ships-rail-aircraft/): Electric vehicle batteries are now the largest use of cobalt, about 43% of demand in 2024, but makers have cut cobalt per kWh through LFP and high-nickel cathodes, so cobalt demand depends on chemistry mix as much as on EV sales, while Congo's export quotas set supply. *(researched)*
- [Copper](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/cobalt-and-copper/): About three quarters of cobalt is mined as a by-product of copper, mostly in DR Congo, so cobalt supply follows copper investment; Congo's 2025 export ban and quotas showed that cobalt can be held back while copper keeps flowing. *(researched)*
- [Nickel](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/cobalt-and-nickel/): About a fifth of by-product cobalt comes from nickel ores, and Indonesia's high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) plants have made it the second largest cobalt producer, selling nickel and cobalt together in mixed hydroxide for batteries; both metals also share the NMC battery market and the threat from LFP, which uses neither. *(researched)*
- [Battery cathode materials](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/battery-cathode-materials-and-cobalt/): Cobalt is a raw material for battery cathode materials.
- [Computers and electronics](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/cobalt-and-computers-and-electronics/): Computers and electronics depends on cobalt.
- [Electric and hybrid vehicles](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/cobalt-and-electric-and-hybrid-vehicles/): Electric and hybrid vehicles needs cobalt.
- [Medical devices](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/cobalt-and-medical-devices/): Medical devices depends on cobalt.
- [Metal products](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/cobalt-and-metal-products/): Metal products depends on cobalt.
- [Nickel-rich lithium-ion batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/cobalt-and-nickel-rich-lithium-ion-batteries/): Nickel-rich lithium-ion batteries needs cobalt.
- [Refining catalysts](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/cobalt-and-refining-catalysts/): Cobalt is a raw material for refining catalysts.
- [Semiconductors](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/cobalt-and-semiconductors/): Semiconductors depends on cobalt.
- [Waste and recycling](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/cobalt-and-waste-and-recycling/): Waste and recycling depends on cobalt.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/emissions/index.md)