About three-fourths of world's cobalt, a metal required for the manufacture of batteries for electric motor vehicles, is produced by 

The correct answer is option 3.

Key Points 

• Cobalt reserves
  • 50% of the world's cobalt reserves are in Democratic Republic of Congo where the a potential for political instability and disruption is high.
  • Congo currently produces more than 70% of the world's cobalt but some artisanal cobalt production poses reputational risk due to human rights abuses and the use of child labor.
  • Hence option 3 is correct.
• The Cobalt:
  • ​Cobalt is a chemical element with the symbol Co and atomic number 27.
  • It is a hard, lustrous, silver-white metal that is chemically similar to iron and nickel.
  • Cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron.
• Applications of Cobalt:
  • Lithium-ion batteries: Cobalt is a key component in the cathode of lithium-ion batteries, which are used in a variety of electronic devices, including smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles.
  • Magnetic materials: Cobalt is a strong magnet and is used in the production of permanent magnets, such as those used in hard drives and loudspeakers.
  • High-strength alloys: Cobalt is added to steel to improve its strength and toughness. These alloys are used in a variety of applications, including jet engines, mining equipment, and tools.
  • Ceramics: Cobalt is added to ceramics to improve their strength, toughness, and color. These ceramics are used in a variety of applications, including wear-resistant coatings, spark plugs, and dental implants.
  • Glass: Cobalt is added to glass to give it a deep blue color. This color is often used in stained glass and in the production of blue ceramics.