Cadmium

Things that contain cadmium Contributor: Koen Heckel

What is in the Cd display?

Cadmium red oil paint: Cd is a silvery metal having a boiling point of 700 ℃. Since the first discovery of Cd in 1817 by the German chemist Friedrich Stromeyer, Cd compounds were used as the color sources. Bright yellow cadmium sulfide is used as the yellow color by artists. In the 1830s commercial production of Cd-based colors was started in Germany. Cadmium orange and cadmium red pigments were synthesized by mixing cadmium salt with alkali and alkaline earth sulfides and heating the resultant precipitates. However, cadmium compounds are not considered as toxic as cadmium metal.

Television: Cadmium compounds were used to prepare black and white television phosphors and blue and green phosphors for color TV tubes. However, as part of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, the European Commission has prohibited cadmium from TVs and displays sold in Europe from October 2019 on.

Nickel–cadmium batteries: are a type of rechargeable battery that utilizes nickel oxide hydroxide and metallic cadmium as electrodes. Nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries are known to have high power and energy density, high efficiency of charge/discharge, and a low cycle life.

Cocoa powders: Cocoa powders might contain some amount of cadmium due to the presence of cadmium in the soil of some cocoa plantations. However, to protect the public from potential cadmium exposure, the European Union has introduced the maximum levels in cocoa and other chocolate products from January 1, 2019.

Cadmium drill battery: which is also a nickel-cadmium battery provided by Dr. Martin J Ohlinger (UT College of Pharmacy)

Bottle of cadmium metal pieces: shows how cadmium metal looks like.

Cadmium-Telluride: Solar panels are the world's 2^nd most common photovoltaic (PV) technique after crystalline silicon. It represents 5% of the world market. CdTe thin film solar cells are known to have high absorption and a low-cost manufacturing compared to crystalline silicon.