Promising metal oxides for chemical looping processes involve alloys of cobalt, copper, manganese, or nickel. There is currently little concern regarding the supply of manganese, which is mainly used as an alloying element in steel. However, more than half of global cobalt supply is currently from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC also has the largest cobalt reserves by far . With global demand increasing due to lithium chemistry batteries, reliance on a nation with social and political instability could risk disruption to supply.