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| Cadmium plating is primarily used for aerospace and defense work. Cadmium is a toxic chemical that is carcinogenic. For this reason cadmium plate is general not used on consumer products. Cadmium plating is a galvanic protector like zinc and will sacrifice itself to corrosion before the base material begins to corrode. Cadmium plating is generally applied over steel but can be deposited on stainless, copper, brass, and even aluminum. Cadmium plating is often used to coat parts of dissimilar base material in assemblies to create a more favorable galvanic coupling. Cadmium plating can have a chromate applied that is yellow, olive drab, or black. In general the darker the chromate the greater the protection the cad plate will provide. Cadmium plating can be deposited as a dull or bright deposit. Dull deposits are used for high strength steel parts that are susceptible to embrittlement. All plating processes have the potential to cause hydrogen embrittlement. To minimize the impact of the plating process parts are baked after processing for as much as 24 hours. Longer bakes will continue to lower the risk of embrittlement but are rarely used. |