Cadmium
| Atomic Number: | 48 |
| Symbol: | Cd |
| Atomic weight: | 112.41 |
| Discovery: | Stromeyer 1817 |
| Electron Configuration: | 4d10 |
| Word Origin: | Latin cadmia, Greek kadmeia - ancient name for calamine, zinc carbonate. Cadmium was first discovered by Stromeyer as an impurity in zinc carbonate. |
| Properties: | Cadmium has a melting point of 320.9°C, boiling point of 765°C, spcific gravity of 8.65 (20°C), and a valence of 2. Cadmium is a blue-white metal soft enough to be easily cut with a knife. |
| Uses: | Cadmium is used in alloys with low melting points. It is a component of bearing alloys to given them a low coefficient of friction and resistance to fatigue. Most cadium is used for electroplating. It is also used for many types of solder, for NiCd batteries, and to control atomic fission reactions. Cadmium compounds are used for black and white television phosphors and in the green and blue phosphors for color television tubes. Cadmium salts have wide application. Cadmium sulfide is used as a yellow pigment. Cadmium and its compounds are toxic. |
| Sources: | Cadmium is most commonly found in small quantities associated with zinc ores (e.g., sphalerite ZnS). The mineral greenockite (CdS) is another source of cadmium. Cadmium is obtained as a by-product during treatment of zinc, lead, and copper ores. |
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