Cobalt(II) fluoride Cobalt(II) fluoride Cobalt(II) fluoride is a chemical compound with the formula (CoF). It is a pink crystalline solid compound which is antiferromagnetic at low temperatures (T=37.7 K) The formula is given for both the red tetragonal crystal, (CoF), and the tetrahydrate red orthogonal crystal, (CoF·4HO). CoF is used in oxygen-sensitive fields, namely metal production. In low concentrations, it has public health uses. CoF is sparingly soluble in water. The compound can be dissolved in warm mineral acid, and will decompose in boiling water. Yet the hydrate is water-soluble, especially the di-hydrate CoF·2H O and tri-hydrate CoF·3HO forms of the compound.
Cobalt B, the primary biological reservoir of cobalt as an ultratrace element. Bacteria in the stomachs of ruminant animals convert cobalt salts into vitamin B, a compound which can only be produced by bacteria or archaea. A minimal presence of cobalt in soils therefore markedly improves the health of grazing animals, and an uptake of 0.20 mg/kg a day is recommended because they have no other source of vitamin B. In the early 20th century, during the development of farming on the North Island Volcanic Plateau of New Zealand, cattle suffered from what was termed "bush sickness". It was discovered that