CADMIUM (CD)

last update 01 oct 08

* Cadmium is a member of the transition metals family:

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   CADMIUM / Cd / 48

   A silvery metal with a bluish tinge that is soft enough to be
   cut with a knife.  It tarnishes in air, and dissolves in acids (but
   not alkalis).  There are eight isotopes that occur in nature:

     Cd<114/48> / 29%
     Cd<112/48> / 24%
     Cd<111/48> / 13%
     Cd<110/48> / 12.5%
     Cd<113/48> / 12%
     Cd<116/48> / 7.5%
     Cd<106/48> /  1%
     Cd<108/48> /  1%

   All are stable, except for Cd<113/48>, which has a half-life of
   9E15 years.

     atomic weight:       112.411
     abundance:           65th
     density:             8.65 g/cc
     melting point:       321 C
     boiling point:       765 C
     valence:             2
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Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal, and so the traditional use of cadmium sulfide in paints and other coloring agents has been curtailed in recent years. It is still in use, however, to electroplate steel to prevent corrosion by sea water; in cadmium telluride (CdTe) infrared sensors and also some types of solar power cells; and in nickel-cadmium batteries. Total production is over ten thousand tonnes per year.