Where Cadmium is Found in the World

Cadmium has many chemical and physical properties that make it desirable for industrial and consumer applications: resistance to corrosion and chemicals, tolerance of high temperatures, a low melting point and excellent electrical conductivity. These properties make cadmium suitable for use in alloys, pigments, coatings, stabilizers and rechargeable nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, which are the primary application. In the near future, solar cell manufacturing may become another significant market for cadmium.

Approximately 86% of the cadmium consumed globally was used in NiCd batteries, 9% in pigments, 4% in coatings and 1% in various uses including alloys, solar cells and stabilizers. In Belgium, Floridienne Chimie S.A., an intermediate processor of cadmium, made up almost all of the country’s cadmium consumption for the production of cadmium compounds (carbonate, nitrate and oxide) and powder, which were then exported to downstream consumers in Asia. It was estimated that nearly 7,200 t/yr of refined cadmium were consumed by Floridienne. In 2012, Belgium imported 3,690t of unwrought cadmium

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