If you take over the study period at least a quarter of a century, we can see a significant transformation in the development of cobalt production. For example, in recent years considerably increased extraction of pure material rich nickel ore after pre-oxidation, and a useful processing raw copper to produce cobalt conversely decreased. Also it should be noted a significant increase in the cobalt raw material consumption of a number of industrial sectors, which until recently did not use in his work this type of material. All the above facts led to steady growth as production and consumption and important material in pure form and in the form of critical alloying additions in the manufacturing process of various important structural type alloys.

Leading position in the field of this production today is China. After all, in the hands of the state is concentrated about forty percent of the total amount of cobalt produced by the world community. Although the leader of the original production of useful cobalt ore, which is used to extract the metal in its purest form and the Chinese manufacturers, including those owned by the African country of Congo. In recent decades, in the cobalt market witnessed a steady and stable growth, which reached its peak by 2007. The cash equivalent of one kilogram of an important technological and material was then sixty-five dollars. And the first place for the consumption of the raw materials given to Asian nations. Over the past ten years, the level of consumption of cobalt is increased almost twenty times. Several European countries are less interested in this material and the demand for it is not greatly increased, but for the entire billing period cobalt interest of Europeans differ enviable stability.

Significant growth of cobalt consumption in Asian countries is explained by the strong growth of the economy and industry of these countries, as well as the development of entirely new market segments for themselves. This year, the price of the important structural and technological materials decreased slightly compared to its peak and was only thirty dollars per kilogram. Due to a surplus of raw materials on the world market such Cost plate for cobalt persist for at least the whole of 2013.