Cadmium is a soft, bluish-white metal that was first discovered in 1817 by German chemist Friedrich Strohmeyer while studying calamine. It has several important industrial uses including in nickel-cadmium batteries, as an anti-corrosive coating for steel, and in semiconductors. However, cadmium is also toxic to humans and accumulates primarily in the kidneys, where high levels can lead to kidney failure. While cadmium intake has decreased in recent decades, it remains a concern due to negative health effects. Cadmium is obtained as a byproduct during production of other metals like zinc, copper and lead.

1. Cadmium
By: Jeremy Willett

2. History
• Its name is derived from the Latin
cadmia and the Greek kadmeia
• First discovered by Friedrich
Strohmeyer, a German chemist,
in 1817.
• While studying calamine(ZnCO3),
it was noticed that when heated
some samples glowed yellow
while others did not.
• After later examination, he
concluded that the calamine that
changed color contained a new
element, Cadmium

3. Properties
• Atomic Number: 48
• Atomic Weight: 112.411
• Melting Point: 594.22 K (321.07°C or
609.93°F)
• Boiling Point: 1040 K (767°C or 1413°F)
• Density: 8.69 grams per cubic centimeter
• Phase at Room Temperature: Solid
• Element Classification: Metal
• PeriodNumber:5 GroupNumber:12

4. Major Isotopes
• Nine major radioactive isotopes of
cadmium exist, of which only three
– cadmium-109, cadmium-113,
and cadmium-113m– have half-
lives long enough to warrant
potential concern. The half-lives of
the other six are less than 45 days.
• There are 5 stable isotopes
Cadmium 108 Cadmium 110
Cadmium 111 Cadmium 112
Cadmium 114

5. Uses
• Most in the U.S. used in nickel-
cadmium batteries
• Also used as an anticorrosive coating
for steel and cast iron, and used as
component of certain specialty alloys.
• Used in semiconductors (such as
cadmium selenide and telluride), in
dyes and pigments, as a stabilizer in
plastics such as polyvinyl chloride,
and as a neutron absorber in nuclear
reactor control rods and shields.

6. Concerns
• Cadmium has negative effects on
human health
• In the human body, cadmium
accumulates mainly in the
kidneys. At high levels, it can
reach a critical threshold and can
lead to serious kidney failure.
• Cadmium is generally taken into
the body through smoking as well
as trace amount sin food and
water which has came from the
soil.
• Cadmium intake by the general
population has decreased in the
past 60 years.

7. Availability
• Cadmium is found in rare ores such as sphalerite
and greenockite, and it is formed as a byproduct
during production of zinc, copper, and lead.
• The United States is among the top ten
producers, refining over 1,000 metric tons of
cadmium a year.

8. Miscellaneous
• Isolating cadmium consists of the
following series of reactions.
ZnO + C → Zn + CO
ZnO + CO → Zn + CO2
CO2 + C → 2CO
• Cadmium is an extremely toxic
metal, which is why it has its
negative effects on the human
body.

9. Sources
• http://periodictable.com/Samples/048.12/index.s12.html
• http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele048.html
• http://www.ead.anl.gov/pub/doc/cadmium.pdf
• http://www.webelements.com/cadmium/history.html
• http://www.cadmium.org/
• http://www.tech-faq.com/nickel-cadmium-battery.html
• http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/cd.html
• http://library.thinkquest.org/08aug/01930/commonmetals/Cadmiu
m.html
• http://chemistry.about.com/od/famouschemists/p/friedrichstrome
yerbio.htm
• http://www.mineralatlas.com/australian_minerals/tasmania5.htm