Cobaltite

/koʊˈbɔːltaɪt/ noun

Definition

A natural mineral form of cobalt arsenic sulfide that is one of the primary ores used to extract cobalt metal.

Etymology

From cobalt + the mineral suffix -ite. Named in the early 1800s by mineralogists who discovered this crystalline form of cobalt-bearing ore.

Kelly Says

Cobaltite is so valuable that geologists can find it worth mining even though it contains arsenic—it's one of the few profitable ways to get cobalt for everything from smartphone screens to jet engines!

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