How is cadmium used industrially?
Cadmium is produced mainly as a by-product of mining, smelting and refining of zinc and, to a lesser degree, as a by-product of lead and copper production. It is therefore primarily a function of zinc production rather than cadmium demand. Major shifts in smelting and refining technology (from pyrometallurgical to hydrometallurgical processes) have led to significant decreases in releases of cadmium to the environment. Cadmium is used and traded globally as a metal and as a component in various products, in particular in batteries until it was banned in a number of countries. Other major uses of refined cadmium are: • pigments for plastics, • ceramics and enamels; • stabilizers for plastics; • plating on iron and steel; and • alloying element of some lead, copper and tin alloys. Since 1990, the consumption of such products has been decreasing significantly because of the awareness of the detrimental impacts on health and the environment. Waste management systems have increasingly been
