Top Industries purchasing Cobalt (Co)

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Top Industries purchasing Cobalt (Co)

Rank	Industry	Est. Volume (Metric Tons)	Est. % of Total	Primary Applications
1	EV Battery Manufacturing	95,000 – 105,000	43% – 45%	NCM/NCA cathodes for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
2	Portable Electronics	67,000 – 76,000	30% – 35%	LCO cathodes for smartphones, laptops, and tablets.
3	Aerospace (Superalloys)	17,000 – 20,000	8% – 10%	Gas turbine engines, jet engines, and high-temp components.
4	Industrial Catalysts	10,000 – 15,000	5% – 7%	Petroleum refining and chemical synthesis processes.
5	Machinery & Tooling	6,000 – 8,000	3% – 4%	Cemented carbides for cutting and wear-resistant tools.
6	Energy Storage (ESS)	4,000 – 6,000	2% – 3%	Grid-scale battery systems and renewable energy storage.
7	Chemical Manufacturing	3,000 – 5,000	1% – 2%	Drying agents in paints, inks, and specialized coatings.
8	Hardfacing & Wear Materials	2,000 – 3,000	~1.5%	Protective coatings for heavy industrial equipment.
9	Defense & Armor	1,500 – 2,500	~1%	High-strength alloys and specialized military ordnance.
10	Magnet Manufacturing	1,200 – 2,000	~1%	Alnico and SmCo permanent magnets for industrial use.
11	Ceramics & Glass	1,000 – 1,500	<1%	Decolorizing and coloring agents (e.g., cobalt blue).
12	Steel & Metallurgy	800 – 1,200	<1%	Additive to high-speed and maraging steels.
13	Medical Technology	500 – 1,000	<0.5%	Orthopedic implants (CoCr) and radiotherapy (Co-60).
14	Petroleum Refining	400 – 800	<0.5%	Desulfurization catalysts for fuel production.
15	Automotive (Non-Battery)	300 – 600	<0.5%	Tire adhesive resins and wear-resistant engine parts.
16	Renewable Energy	200 – 400	<0.2%	High-performance alloys for wind turbine structures.
17	Telecommunications	100 – 300	<0.2%	Satellite hardware and signal-processing equipment.
18	Agriculture	50 – 200	<0.1%	Trace micronutrients for soil and livestock feed.
19	Semiconductors	20 – 100	<0.1%	Advanced barrier layers and interconnect materials.
20	Nuclear Energy	10 – 50	<0.05%	Control rods and radiation shielding components.

Major Individual Company Purchasers

• CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd.): The world's largest battery maker; a massive purchaser of cobalt hydroxide for NCM (Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese) batteries.
• LG Energy Solution: Primary supplier to Tesla and GM; consumes massive volumes for high-nickel/low-cobalt pouch cells.
• Samsung SDI: Significant purchaser for both EV cells and high-end portable electronics.
• Umicore: A global leader in cathode materials and cobalt recycling, acting as a major bridge for European automotive supply chains.
• Huayou Cobalt: While a producer, they are also a top-tier purchaser of raw material for their refined chemical and precursor divisions.
• Apple Inc.: Through its suppliers, Apple is the largest consumer of Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO), which provides the high energy density needed for iPhones and MacBooks.
• Tesla, Inc.: While moving toward cobalt-free LFP for standard models, Tesla remains a top purchaser of high-performance NCA (Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum) cells for Long Range and Performance models.
• General Electric (GE Aerospace): A dominant buyer of high-purity cobalt metal for jet engine turbine blades.
• Rolls-Royce: Consumes cobalt for aerospace superalloys that must withstand extreme heat.
• Sandvik AB: A massive purchaser for their "Cemented Carbide" division, used in global mining and machining tools.

Caution: This content was sourced and arranged by AI and thus may be subject to errors, biases, omissions, or antiquation.
This information can provide a general sense of industry dynamics, but may be unreliable in its specifics, or as an isolated basis for investment decisions.