Cadmium [Cd] (CAS-ID: 7440-43-9) locate me
An: 48 N: 64 Am: 112.411
Group No: 12  Group Name: (none)
Block: d-block  Period: 5
State: solid at 298 K
Colour: silvery grey metallic Classification: Metallic
Boiling Point: 1038K (767'C)
Melting Point: 594.18K (321.07'C)
Density: 8.65g/cm3
Shell Structure diagram | Atomic Radius diagram
Isotopes | More Info
Discovery Information
Who: Fredrich Stromeyer
When: 1817
Where: Germany
Name Origin
Greek: kadmeia (ancient name for calamine (ZnCO3)); Latin: cadmia.
Sources
Obtained as a by product of zinc refining. Occurs in rare ores such as Greenockite (CdS), the only mineral cadmium of any importance.
Uses
Used in nickel-cadmium batteries (about 75% of all cadmium is used in batteries), nuclear reactor regulator, bearing alloys, solder and red/yellow pigments.
Compounds containing cadmium are used in black and white television phosphors and also in the blue and green phosphors for color television picture tubes.
Used in some semiconductors such as cadmium sulfide (CdS), cadmium selenide (CdSe), and cadmium telluride (CdTe), which can be used for light detection or solar cells. Mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) is sensitive to infrared.
Cadmium forms various salts, with cadmium sulfide (CdS) being the most common. This sulfide is used as a yellow pigment. Cadmium selenide (CdSe) can be used as red pigment, commonly called cadmium red.
Notes
Cadmium is a soft ductile metal that can easily be cut with a knife.
Cadmium is extremely poisonous, even in low concentrations.
Images
A selection of NiCd batteries A selection of NiCd batteries