Cadmium. (Source: © Björn Wylezich / stock.adobe.com)

A chemical element with atomic number 48. Cadmium is a silver-white, soft, toxic metal with a low melting point (321 °C). It occurs naturally in the earth’s crust, but only in small quantities. The use of cadmium is limited because of its toxicity. It is mainly used for the production of nickel-cadmium batteries.

Cadmium is part of the control rods in some nuclear reactors because it efficiently absorbs thermal neutrons.