Cobalt boride Cobalt boride Cobalt borides are inorganic compounds with the general formula CoB. The two main cobalt borides CoB and CoB. These are refractory materials. Cobalt boride is known to be exceptionally resistant to oxidation, a chemical property which makes compound useful in the field of materials science. For instance, studies suggest cobalt boride can increase the lifespan of metal parts when used as a coating, imparting surfaces with higher corrosion and wear resistance. These properties have been exploited in the field of biomedical sciences for the design of specialized drug delivery systems. Cobalt boride has also been studied as a
Cobalt-60 intensity gamma-ray emitter with a relatively long half-life, 5.27 years, compared to other gamma ray sources of similar intensity. The β-decay energy is low and easily shielded; however, the gamma-ray emission lines have energies around 1.3 MeV, and are highly penetrating. The main uses for are: Cobalt has been discussed as a "salting" element to add to nuclear weapons, to produce a cobalt bomb, an extremely "dirty" weapon which would contaminate large areas with nuclear fallout, rendering them uninhabitable. In one hypothetical design, the tamper of the weapon would be made of . When the bomb exploded, the excess neutrons