Cadmium ranks 65th in the list of the most abundant element within the Earth’s crust. This is a soft metal, silver-white in color with a bluish tinge on the surface. It is even possible to cut pure cadmium with a knife. The acids soluble and alkalis insoluble lustrous metal has properties similar to zinc, for instance it also tarnishes in air. It is not allowed to discard cadmium into the environment in many countries, therefore the products that contain cadmium are recycled to recover cadmium.

Production: There are rare ores that contain cadmium. This mineral is produced as a by-product from zinc’s sulfide ores mining, smelting and refining. Therefore, it is mainly produced in areas where zinc is refined. When the iron and steel scrap are recycled, the dust is generated, which is regarded as a secondary source for the production of small amounts of cadmium.

Applications of Cadmium:

• Rechargeable nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries are produced using cadmium, which can power a wide range of electrical goods.
• Yellow pigment is also produced using its compounds or its most common salt called cadmium sulfide to be further used in yellow car paints.
• Cadmium-telluride (CdTe) is produced by alloying cadmium with tellurium, to be used in thin-film PV solar technology.
• It is used as raw material in the preparation of rechargeable batteries, cadmium telluride solar cells, and infrared detectors (MCT detectors – HgCdTe / CdZnTe).
• Its compounds find use in the manufacturing of phosphors, pesticides, fungicides and plastic stabilizers.
• It also finds use in electroplating.
• Cadmium sulfide is the most common salt of cadmium
• Other uses include alloys, coatings and as stabilizers for plastics.
• Cadmium compounds are applicable in black and white television phosphors as well as blue and green phosphors for color TV picture tubes.