It lasted for 122 days and the voyage was nearly 35,000 kilometers. The “Ocean No. 6” ship of the China Marine Geological Survey of the China Geological Survey of the Ministry of Natural Resources completed the 8th voyage of the China Sea Geological Survey and the 55th voyage of the Chinese Ocean. Returned to Guangzhou with results.

The “Ocean No. 6” ship implemented a comprehensive geological and geophysical survey of the key survey areas in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, which achieved full coverage of multi-beam water depth topography, acquired geophysical information and geological samples of rare earth-rich sediments, and established scientific research and new resources for deep-sea earth systems. The evaluation laid the foundation. Among them, the acquisition of rare earth samples is remarkable.

This time, what China brought back is "cobalt", which is also a rare resource. In the first half of 2019, Chinese expedition members discovered large-area rare earth deposits for the first time in the South East Pacific Ocean. Two months later, “Ocean No.6” was dispatched for detection and made important progress: providing basic data for the study of small-scale distribution and characteristics of cobalt-rich crusts; and providing a powerful investigation for fine detection of cobalt-rich crusts. Means; improved the stability and working efficiency of deep cobalt shallow drilling of cobalt-rich crust. So expensive, what is the use of "cobalt"?

The physical and chemical properties of cobalt determine that it is an important raw material for the production of heat-resistant alloys, hard alloys, anti-corrosion alloys, magnetic alloys and various cobalt salts. Cobalt-based alloys or cobalt-containing alloy steels are used as gas turbine blades, impellers, ducts, jet engines, rocket engines, components of missiles, and various high-load heat-resistant components in chemical equipment and important metal materials for the atomic energy industry. Small cobalt has enormous energy, and its application in the military field is immeasurable.

A cobalt bomb, a dirty nuclear bomb that can cause serious radioactive contamination. In many popular science materials, the cobalt bomb is called a "doom bomb." Only one need to return the Earth's life system back hundreds of millions of years ago. So, is the cobalt bomb really so powerful?

The manufacturing technology of the cobalt bomb is very simple, just need to wrap a common metal cobalt (cobalt-59) on the outside of a common thermonuclear bomb, such as a hydrogen bomb or a neutron bomb. After the nuclear bomb explosion, the neutrons produced by the thermonuclear reaction will convert cobalt-59 into radioactive cobalt-60, radiating huge energy gamma rays, killing life on Earth, even in underground bunkers. The most terrifying thing is that the half-life of cobalt-60 is 5.27 years, which means that after 30 minutes of exposure to the affected area after the initial explosion, people will incur hopelessly die; even after 5.27, they will be exposed. After an hour, it will die; until 105 years, the radiation will be reduced to the body's tolerable intensity, but there will still be a large number of cancer cases. This is the origin of the cobalt bomb known as the Doomsday Bomb.

Of course, theory is theory, and the actual situation is much more complicated because cobalt-59 cannot be 100% converted to cobalt-60. Therefore, it is not practical to use a cobalt bomb to extinction the world, but only 33 is enough. Although illegal armed forces have been threatening to study cobalt bombs, it is not so easy to create 33. A sane country will never harm all humanity. Therefore, cobalt is now widely used in jet engines, rocket engines, missiles and the atomic energy industry. Editor / Huang Lijun