Cadmium
🔋 In Your World
Cadmium is a soft, bluish-white metal chemically similar to zinc. Its most common modern use is in nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) rechargeable batteries. It is an excellent corrosion inhibitor, so it's used to plate steel. Cadmium compounds are also used to create brilliant yellow, orange, and red pigments for paints and plastics, though this use is declining due to its toxicity.
📖 The Discovery Story
Cadmium was discovered in 1817 by German chemist Friedrich Stromeyer. He found the new element as an impurity in zinc carbonate (calamine). When heated, the impure calamine glowed yellow, while pure calamine did not. He named the new element "cadmium" from the Latin word cadmia, the ancient name for calamine, in which it was found.
📊 Properties at a Glance
| Phase at STP | Solid |
| Melting Point | 321.07 °C / 609.93 °F |
| Boiling Point | 767 °C / 1413 °F |
| Electron Configuration | [Kr] 4d¹⁰5s² |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 0.000015% |
⚠️ Safety & Handling
Cadmium and its compounds are highly toxic and carcinogenic (cancer-causing), even at low concentrations. Exposure is a significant occupational hazard. It can cause kidney damage, bone problems, and lung disease. Due to its toxicity, many of its former uses (like in pigments and coatings) have been phased out in favor of safer alternatives.