I-Cobalt iyinsimbi esetshenziswa kumabhethri amaningi emoto kagesi. Izindaba ukuthi uTesla uzosebenzisa amabhethri "angenayo i-cobalt", kodwa hlobo luni "lwensiza" eyi-cobalt? Ngizofingqa ngolwazi oluyisisekelo ofuna ukulwazi.
Igama layo yiConflict Minerals Esuselwa KuDemoni
Ingabe uyawazi isici se-cobalt? Ayigcini nje ngokuqukethwe kumabhethri ezimoto zikagesi (EVs) kanye nama-smartphones, kodwa futhi asetshenziswa kuma-alloys ensimbi e-cobalt angashisi njengezinjini ze-jet nama-drill bits, omagnethi bezipikha, futhi, ngokumangalisayo, ukucwengwa kukawoyela. I-Cobalt iqanjwe ngegama elithi "Kobold," i-monster evame ukuvela ezinganekwaneni zesayensi yasejele, futhi kwakukholelwa e-Europe yasendulo ukuthi baphonsa umlingo ezimayini ukuze benze izinsimbi ezinzima nezinobuthi. kulungile.
Manje, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zikhona noma azikho izilo emayini, i-cobalt inobuthi futhi ingadala izingozi ezingathi sína zezempilo njenge-pneumoconiosis uma ungazigqoki izinto zokuzivikela ezifanele. Futhi nakuba iDemocratic Republic of Congo ikhiqiza ngaphezu kwengxenye ye-cobalt yomhlaba, imayini encane (i-Artisanal mine) lapho abantu abampofu abangenayo imisebenzi bemba imigodi ngamathuluzi alula ngaphandle kokuqeqeshwa kokuphepha. ), Izingozi zokuwa zenzeka njalo, izingane ziphoqeleka ukuba zisebenze isikhathi eside neholo eliphansi elingamayen angu-200 ngosuku, futhi ngisho ne-Amatsu iwumthombo wemali wamaqembu ahlomile, ngakho i-cobalt ihambisana negolide, i-tungsten, ithini, kanye i-tantalum. , yabizwa ngokuthi amaminerali angqubuzanayo.
Kodwa-ke, ngokusabalala kwama-EV kanye namabhethri e-lithium-ion, eminyakeni yamuva izinkampani zomhlaba wonke ziye zaqala ukuphenya ukuthi i-cobalt ekhiqizwa imizila engalungile, kuhlanganise nokuhlinzekwa kwe-cobalt oxide ne-cobalt hydroxide, isetshenziswa.
Isibonelo, izikhondlakhondla zamabhethri i-CATL ne-LG Chem zibamba iqhaza ku-"Responsible Cobalt Initiative (RCI)" eholwa yi-China, ngokuyinhloko esebenzela ukuqeda ukusetshenziswa kwezingane.
Ngo-2018, i-Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), inhlangano yezohwebo enobulungiswa be-cobalt, yasungulwa njengesinyathelo sokukhuthaza ukucaca nokuba semthethweni kwenqubo yezimayini ze-cobalt. Abahlanganyeli bahlanganisa i-Tesla, esebenzisa amabhethri e-lithium-ion, i-German EV startup Sono Motors, i-Swiss resource giant Glencore, kanye ne-Huayu Cobalt yaseChina.
Uma sibheka i-Japan, i-Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd., ethengisa izinto ezisebenza kahle zika-electrode zamabhethri e-lithium-ion ku-Panasonic, isungule “Inqubomgomo Yokuthengwa Okunesibopho Sempahla Ye-Cobalt Raw” ngo-August 2020 futhi yaqala ukukhuthala nokuqapha. phansi.
Ngokuzayo, njengoba izinkampani ezinkulu zizokwethula amaphrojekthi ezimayini aphethwe ngendlela elandelanayo, abasebenzi kuzodingeka babeke ubungozi futhi bangene ezimayini ezincane, futhi isidingo sizoncipha kancane kancane.
Ukushoda okusobala kwe-cobalt
Njengamanje, isibalo sama-EV sisencane, kanti ingqikithi yezigidi ezingu-7 kuphela, kuhlanganise nezigidi ezingu-2.1 ezidayiswe emhlabeni wonke ngo-2019. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ingqikithi yezimoto zezinjini emhlabeni kuthiwa 1 billion noma 1.3 billion. futhi uma izimoto zikaphethiloli ziqedwa futhi esikhundleni salokho kufakwe ama-EV esikhathini esizayo, kuzodingeka inani elikhulu kakhulu le-cobalt cobalt oxide ne-cobalt hydroxide.
Inani eliphelele le-cobalt elisetshenziswe kumabhethri e-EV ngo-2019 lalingamathani ayi-19,000, okusho ukuthi kwakudingeka isilinganiso esingu-9 kg we-cobalt ngemoto ngayinye. Ukwenza ama-EV ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1 nge-9 kg ngayinye kudinga amathani ayizigidi ezingu-9 ze-cobalt, kodwa imali egciniwe yomhlaba ingamathani ayizigidi ezingu-7.1 kuphela, futhi njengoba kushiwo ekuqaleni, amathani ayi-100,000 kwezinye izimboni minyaka yonke. Njengoba kuyinsimbi esetshenziswa kakhulu, iyancipha ngokusobala njengoba injalo.
Ukuthengiswa kwe-EV kulindeleke ukuthi kukhule ngokuphindwe kashumi ngo-2025, ngesidingo sonyaka samathani angama-250,000, okubandakanya amabhethri angaphakathi kwemoto, ama-alloys akhethekile nokunye ukusetshenziswa. Noma ngabe isidingo se-EV sincishisiwe, izophela kuzo zonke izinqolobane ezaziwayo njengamanje phakathi neminyaka engama-30.
Ngokumelene nalesi sizinda, abathuthukisi bebhethri basebenza kanzima imini nobusuku ukuthi banganciphisa kanjani inani le-cobalt. Isibonelo, amabhethri e-NMC asebenzisa i-nickel, i-manganese, ne-cobalt athuthukiswa nge-NMC111 (nickel, manganese, ne-cobalt ingu-1: 1. Inani le-cobalt lehliswe kancane kancane ukusuka ku-1: 1) ukuya ku-NMC532 ne-NMC811, ne-NMC9. 5.5 (isilinganiso se-cobalt ngu-0.5) okwamanje isathuthukiswa.
I-NCA (i-nickel, i-cobalt, i-aluminium) esetshenziswa u-Tesla inokuqukethwe kwe-cobalt kwehliselwe ku-3%, kodwa i-Model 3 ekhiqizwa e-China isebenzisa ibhethri ye-lithium iron phosphate (LFP) engena-cobalt. Akhona futhi amamaki asemukelwe. Nakuba i-LFP ingaphansi kwe-NCA ngokusebenza, inezici zezinto ezishibhile, ukunikezwa okuzinzile, nempilo ende.
Futhi ngo-“Tesla Battery Day” okuhlelwe kusukela ngo-6:30 ekuseni ngoSepthemba 23, 2020 ngesikhathi saseChina, kuzomenyezelwa ibhethri elisha elingenayo i-cobalt, futhi lizoqala ukukhiqizwa ngobuningi ngePanasonic eminyakeni embalwa. Kulindelwe.
Ngendlela, eJapane, "izinsimbi ezingavamile" kanye "nemihlaba engavamile" zivame ukudideka. Izinsimbi eziyivelakancane zisetshenziswa embonini ngoba “ukuthola ukutholakala okuzinzile kubalulekile ngokwenqubomgomo phakathi kwezinsimbi ezinonsada wazo emhlabeni ongavamile noma onzima ukuwukhipha ngenxa yezizathu zobuchwepheshe nezomnotho (uNgqongqoshe Wezomnotho, Wezohwebo Nezimboni)”. Kuyinsimbi engeyona insimbi evame ukusetshenziswa, futhi yigama elivamile lezinhlobo ezingu-31 ezihlanganisa i-lithium, i-titanium, i-chromium, i-cobalt, i-nickel, i-platinum, nomhlaba ongavamile. Kulokhu, umhlaba ongavamile ubizwa ngokuthi umhlaba ongavamile, futhi izinhlobo ezingu-17 ezifana ne-neodymium ne-dysprosium ezisetshenziselwa izibuthe ezihlala njalo zichazwe.
Ngemuva kokushoda kwensiza ye-cobalt, i-cobalt metal sheet & powder, nezinhlanganisela ze-cobalt njenge-cobaltous chloride ngisho ne-hexaamminecobalt(III) chloride iyashoda.
Ikhefu elinomthwalo wemfanelo ku-cobalt
Njengoba ukusebenza okudingekayo kuma-EVs kukhuphuka, kulindeleke ukuthi amabhethri angadingi i-cobalt, njengamabhethri e-solid-state kanye namabhethri e-lithium-sulfur, azoshintsha esikhathini esizayo, ngakho-ke ngenhlanhla asicabangi ukuthi izinsiza zizophela. . Kodwa-ke, lokho kusho ukuthi isidingo se-cobalt sizowa endaweni ethile.
Ushintsho luzofika eminyakeni emi-5 kuye kweyi-10 ekuqaleni, futhi izinkampani ezinkulu zezimayini ziyanqikaza ukutshala imali yesikhathi eside ku-cobalt. Nokho, ngenxa yokuthi sibona isiphetho, sifuna abavukuzi bendawo bashiye indawo yokusebenza ephephile kunangaphambili kwebhamuza le-cobalt.
Futhi amabhethri ezimoto zikagesi ezikhona njengamanje emakethe nawo adinga ukugaywa kabusha ngemva kokuba seziqede imisebenzi yazo ngemva kweminyaka eyi-10 kuya kwengama-20, okuyiRedwood eyasungulwa ngabakwaSumitomo Metals kanye nowayeyisikhulu esiphezulu kwezobuchwepheshe bakwaTesla u-JB Strobel. -Izinto kanye nabanye sebevele basungule ubuchwepheshe bokubuyisela i-cobalt futhi bazophinde babusebenzise nezinye izinsiza.
Ngisho noma isidingo sezinsiza ezithile sikhula okwesikhashana ekuthuthukisweni kwezimoto zikagesi, sizobhekana nokusimama kanye namalungelo omuntu wabasebenzi ngokuqinile njenge-cobalt, futhi ngeke sithenge ulaka lwama-Kobolt acashe emhumeni. Ngithanda ukuphetha le ndaba ngethemba lokuba umphakathi.