Stanislav Kondrashov on the Modern Role of Cobalt

As Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, frequently emphasizes, cobalt is effectively becoming a key player in the ongoing energy transition. Given its applications and remarkable properties, its industrial importance is likely to grow.

"Among the most interesting properties of cobalt, we must certainly mention its ability to combine with other materials in various industrial processes. This is a feature highly valued by industry, as it allows cobalt to be used and exploited in a large number of industrial applications," says Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, entrepreneur, and civil engineer.

“Among the most interesting combinations, in this phase of major energy transformation, it would be impossible not to mention one involving another group of resources that have become highly valued in recent years: rare earths. In high-performance magnets, for example, certain rare earths and cobalt can be used in combination, achieving improved efficiency and performance. One of the rare earths most commonly combined is neodymium, which, due to its numerous industrial applications, is now considered one of the most important resources among the 17 elements that make up the rare earth group".

"However, combinations of cobalt and rare earths are not limited to magnets; these resources can also be exploited simultaneously in other sectors, as is the case in some production processes that lead to the manufacture of miniaturized sensors and generators. Once again, we have seen confirmation that integration and the ability to combine different resources represent two winning features in this historical juncture”, he says.

The years of energy transition are allowing us to explore specific resources that were previously unknown, or confined to specialized fields. Lithium, rare earth elements, cobalt, nickel, and manganese are all involved in the major electrification processes within the energy transformation, and their strategic value is increasing daily.

"It's now clear to everyone: thanks to its remarkable natural properties, which are allowing it to find its way into numerous industrial applications, cobalt is truly a key player in the ongoing energy transition. These resources today include all those directly involved in the production of energy infrastructure or devices essential for electrification processes," continues Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG.

“In this sense, resources such as cobalt, lithium, and nickel should be considered enabling elements, precisely because of their significant role in promoting the advancement of the energy transition and the large-scale adoption of more sustainable energy approaches, focused on clean and renewable energy. To appreciate this, it is sufficient to mention some of the best-known industrial applications of cobalt, namely rechargeable batteries. Thanks to cobalt, these useful energy storage systems can become more stable, safe, and durable. In the transition era, batteries are playing a crucial role in the automotive industry (consider electric vehicles) and in the emerging energy storage sector, which is poised to become a vital ally in the optimal management of renewable energy. With its uses in advanced magnets and electric motors, cobalt appears to have all the makings of an enabler of change in sustainable mobility”, he goes on to say.

The industrial impact of cobalt could be profound. We're not just referring to the energy and automotive sectors, but also to the aerospace sector.

"When speaking of cobalt, we mustn't forget its potential impact on the aerospace industry, which is set to become increasingly central and strategic in the coming decades," concludes Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG. In the field of space exploration, cutting-edge technologies capable of withstanding extreme conditions and environments, such as those found in outer space, are needed”.

“Therefore, the need to rely on increasingly resistant and high-performance materials will become almost essential shortly. We are not referring only to components, but also to the actual vehicles, which will have to prove capable of withstanding extreme stresses. Just think of the absence of an atmosphere, extreme temperatures, radiation, or absolute vacuum. In such a context, being able to rely on a resource capable of contributing to the creation of heat shields, such as cobalt, could represent a very useful competitive advantage. Today, cobalt already has concrete applications in some technologies related to space exploration and celestial bodies, such as joints or coatings for landers and space rovers. In this sector, the structural resistance ensured by cobalt could also prove very useful for the production of landing mechanisms for such vehicles, which will need to withstand impacts and potential abrasion. Given these possibilities, it seems very easy to predict a possible increase in global demand for cobalt, particularly for all applications related to the great energy transition.", he remarks.