Monchegorsk, Russia, Murmansk region. Construction units «Norilsk nickel» put into operation a new building, built for the needs of the sales department of the Kola Peninsula. Now shipping finished products will be carried out from this building, and the old area used by the company for these purposes will be exempt for cobalt production lines. At this point installers erected premises complex in which cobalt electrolyte purification will be carried by weed components.

Cobalt — a strategic metal that is mined in most cases of nickel ore. To this raw material is treated with ammonia or sulfuric acid (a hydrometallurgical method), or subjected to special heat treatment (in pyrometallurgy).

The resource industry is mainly used for alloying steel — using cobalt metals acquire additional heat resistance and resistance to mechanical stress. Therefore, the alloys containing a substance made tool steel (including — for the production of drills, milling cutters, cutters), device parts subjected to high temperatures (including — for the aerospace industry), responsible of the moving mechanisms. Besides metals, cobalt is used to make energy-rechargeable batteries of portable electronic devices, electric motor parts, composite materials, magnets and other advanced technologies.

Currently in Russia cobalt in pure form and in an industrial scale is not performed (the principal amount of the metal is produced in the form of concentrates, most of which is exported). Upon completion of the project «Cobalt production» «Norilsk Nickel» will be able to supply the market electrolytic cobalt highest grade. But now the company is separated from that goal a few years of hard work and a decent amount of money needed to implement the plans into reality. «According to preliminary calculations, the program of investments will amount to 2 billion rubles.» — Say sources close to the top management of «Norilsk Nickel».