Cadmium Facts - Periodic Table

Cadmium Facts - Periodic Table Cadmium Atomic Number 48 Cadmium Symbol Cd Cadmium Atomic Weight 112.411 Cadmium Discovery Fredrich Stromeyer 1817 (Germany) Electron Configuration [Kr] 4d10 5s2 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 admium has a melting point of 320.9Â °C, boiling point of 765Â °C, spcific gravity of 8.65 (20Â °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. Element Classification Transition Metal Density (g/cc) 8.65 Melting Point (K) 594.1 Boiling Point (K) 1038 Appearance soft, malleable, blue-white metal Atomic Radius (pm) 154 Atomic Volume (cc/mol) 13.1 Covalent Radius (pm) 148 Ionic Radius 97 (2e) Specific Heat (20Â °C J/g mol) 0.232 Fusion Heat (kJ/mol) 6.11 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol) 59.1 Debye Temperature (K) 120.00 Pauling Negativity Number 1.69 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol) 867.2 Oxidation States 2 Lattice Structure Hexagonal Lattice Constant (Ã…) 2.980 Lattice C/A Ratio 1.886 References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.) Return to the Periodic Table Chemistry Encyclopedia