Cadmium

Cadmium has been widely used in specialist electroplated parts and electrical contacts, but it is most likely to be found in electronics applications in nickel-cadmium batteries.

In most cases, cadmium plating is used for applications that are not covered by the RoHS directive and so the directive may have only a small effect on the quantity of cadmium plating used in electrical equipment.

Items or components containing cadmium will need to be removed from end-of-life electronics before it can be disposed of. Cadmium is also found in cadmium-sulphide-based photodetectors and as a component of the green and blue phosphors used in older colour television cathode ray tubes.

Cadmium is a key component of a number of pigments used to colour plastics, and these may well be found in various electronic products. Cadmium pigmented plastics such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) are widely used in items such as casings and cables.

Cadmium has also been found in certain electrical and electronic components such as surface mount device chip resistors, infra-red detectors, and semiconductor chips. Cadmium mercury telluride is also used in infra-red detectors which have unique characteristics and these are not exempt from the RoHS Directive.