Cadmium

Cadmium (Cd) is a soft, malleable, bluish white metal found in zinc ores. Most of the cadmium produced today is obtained from zinc by products and recovered from spent nickel-cadmium batteries.

Cadmium is naturally occurring in the Earth’s crust. The image includes an alchemical symbol once used to represent ‘earth’ elements, against a background projection of the Earth. Cadmium is a silvery metal with a bluish tinge to its surface.

80% of cadmium currently produced is used in rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries. However, they are gradually being phased out and replaced with nickel metal hydride batteries.

Cadmium absorbs neutrons and so is used in rods in nuclear reactors to control atomic fission.