Cobalt (Co) is a silvery-blue metallic element used extensively in modern life, particularly in the production of high-performance lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles and portable electronics. It is also used to create superalloys valued for their strength at high temperatures in applications like jet engines. Its compounds produce the vivid, permanent color known as cobalt blue in pigments and ceramics. Despite its advanced technological applications, the name of element number 27 is rooted not in science, but in a centuries-old mystery from European mines, formally preserving a piece of mythological folklore.
The Mythological Origin of the Name
The name Cobalt is a direct adoption of the German word Kobold, which translates to a mischievous spirit, goblin, or earth demon in German folklore. This term was applied to the ore long before the element was chemically isolated. Miners in the Saxon regions of Germany began using this informal name in the 16th century to describe a mineral they found troublesome. They believed the presence of this substance was the work of a supernatural entity, a Kobold, actively preventing them from extracting the valuable metals they sought.
The ore looked deceptively similar to ores containing sought-after metals like silver or copper. However, when processed using traditional smelting techniques, the Kobold ore yielded no silver or copper, leading the frustrated miners to conclude they had been tricked by a malevolent spirit. This perceived trickery led to the name becoming a common designation for the useless mineral.
The Miners’ Frustration with Cobalt Ore
The miners’ frustration was not solely due to the ore’s failure to yield valuable metals; the process of attempting to refine it was also dangerous. Cobalt ore, specifically minerals like cobaltite and smaltite, frequently contains a significant amount of arsenic. When this ore was roasted or smelted in a furnace, the heat caused the arsenic compounds to vaporize.
This process released highly toxic arsenic oxide fumes, a white, odorless vapor that was poisonous to the workers. The miners experienced severe sickness, which they interpreted as a curse or a malicious attack from the Kobold spirit. This cemented the name Kobold as a warning for a mineral that was both a disappointment and a hazard. Although the blue color the ore produced when used in glassmaking was known for centuries, the belief was that the color came from bismuth, another metal commonly found with the ore.
Transition to a Recognized Element
The mystery of the “cursed” ore was solved in the 18th century by Swedish chemist Georg Brandt. Working around 1735, Brandt undertook a systematic study of the mineral that miners called Kobold. He demonstrated that the characteristic blue color, which was used in glass and ceramics for thousands of years, was not due to bismuth or any other known substance.
Brandt successfully isolated a new, distinct metallic element from the ore. When he named his discovery, he chose to retain the historical, informal name used by the miners, formally adopting the designation Cobalt into scientific nomenclature. This act permanently enshrined the mythological folklore of the mischievous mine-dwelling spirit into the official language of chemistry.