Cadmium chloride

Description

Cadmium chloride is a colourless and odourless crystal. It is used for the preparation of cadmium sulphide, used as ‘cadmium yellow’, a brilliant-yellow pigment, which is stable to heat and sulphide fumes. Cadmium chloride has a high solubility in water and is a non-combustible solid, but the dust can be a moderate fire hazard when exposed to heat or flame or when reacted with oxidising agents. It is incompatible with bromine trifluoride, potassium oxidisers, zinc, selenium, tellurium, and hydrogen azide.

Chemical properties

Milky White free flowing crystalline powder

Chemical properties

Cadmium chloride is a colorless, odorless, crystalline solid, or powder.

Physical properties

Colorless powder or crystal; hexagonal crystal system; hygroscopic; density 4.047 g/cm³; melts at 560°C; vaporizes at 960°C; highly soluble in water (140 g/100g at 20°C), also soluble in acetone; slightly soluble in alcohol; insoluble in ether.

The Uses of Cadmium chloride

Cadmium Chloride is used in the preparation of the stable inorganic pigment cadmium sulfide (Cadmium Yellow). Cadmium Chloride treatment of thin film CDTe solar cells is used to produce high-efficienc y solar cells.. Cadmium Chloride is also used in the preparation of organocadmium compounds.

The Uses of Cadmium chloride

Used in a preparation of highly luminescent CdTe nanocrystals.1

The Uses of Cadmium chloride

Preparation of cadmium standard; analysis of sulfides; testing of pyridine bases.

The Uses of Cadmium chloride

Made by the action of hydrochloric acid on cadmium and crystallization. The small white crystals are soluble in alcohol and water. Cadmium chloride was used to make collodionchloride printing-out emulsions, also known as leptographic or aristotype papers.

Production Methods

Cadmium chloride is manufactured in reaction of cadmium metal, carbonate, sulfide, oxide, or hydroxide with hydrochloric acid, followed by evaporation; it forms hydrated salt. Commercial cadmium chloride is amixture of hydrates that approximates to dihydrates. The commercial grade available in the United States typically contains about 51% of cadmium. Liquid caddy contains 20.1% cadmium chloride.

Preparation

Cadmium chloride may be prepared by heating the metal with chlorine or hydrogen chloride gas. In the solution, it is formed by treating the metal or its salts, such as oxide, hydroxide, carbonate, or sulfide with hydrochloric acid:
Cd + 2HCl → CdCl₂ + H₂
CdO + 2HCl → CdCl₂ + H₂O
CdCO₃ + 2HCl → CdCl₂+ H₂O + CO₂
The solution is evaporated and crystallized to yield a hydrated salt. The hydrated salt yields anhydrous cadmium chloride upon heating under hydrogen chloride or when refluxed with thionyl chloride.
Cadmium chloride also may be prepared by adding dry cadmium acetate to acetyl chloride in glacial acetic acid.

Definition

ChEBI: Cadmium dichloride is a cadmium coordination entity in which cadmium(2+) and Cl(-) ions are present in the ratio 2:1. Although considered to be ionic, it has considerable covalent character to its bonding.

General Description

Cadmium chloride is a white crystalline solid. Cadmium chloride is soluble in water. Cadmium chloride is noncombustible. The primary hazard of Cadmium chloride is that Cadmium chloride poses a threat to the environment. Immediate steps should be taken to limit its spread to the environment. Cadmium chloride is used in photography, in fabric printing, in chemical analysis, and in many other uses.

Air & Water Reactions

Water soluble.

Reactivity Profile

Bromine trifluoride rapidly attacks the following salts: barium chloride, Cadmium chloride , calcium chloride, cesium chloride, lithium chloride, silver chloride, rubidium chloride, potassium bromide, potassium chloride, potassium iodide, rhodium tetrabromide, sodium bromide, sodium chloride, and sodium iodide [Mellor 2 Supp. 1:164, 165 1956].

Health Hazard

Ingestion causes gastroenteric distress, pain, and prostration. Sensory disturbances, liver injury, and convulsions have been observed in severe intoxications.

Fire Hazard

Literature sources indicate that Cadmium chloride is nonflammable.

Safety Profile

Confirmed human carcinogen with experimental carcinogenic and tumorigenic data. Poison by ingestion, inhalation, skin contact, intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, intravenous, and possibly other routes. Human systemic effects by ingestion: blood pressure, acute pulmonary edema, hypermotility, diarrhea. Experimental teratogenic and reproductive effects. Human mutation data reported. Reacts violently with BrF3 and K. When heated to decomposition it emits very toxic fumes of Cd and Cl-. See also CADMIUM COMPOUNDS and CHLORIDES.

Potential Exposure

Cadmium chloride is used in dyeing and printing of fabrics; in electronic component manufacture; in photography; used as a pesticide and in nonpasture turf fungicides.

First aid

If this chemical gets into the eyes, remove anycontact lenses at once and irrigate immediately for at least15 min, occasionally lifting upper and lower lids. Seekmedical attention immediately. If this chemical contacts theskin, remove contaminated clothing and wash immediatelywith soap and water. Seek medical attention immediately. Ifthis chemical has been inhaled, remove from exposure,begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions, including resuscitation mask) if breathing has stopped and CPR ifheart action has stopped. Transfer promptly to a medicalfacility. When this chemical has been swallowed, get medical attention. Give large quantities of water and inducevomiting. Do not make an unconscious person vomit.Medical observation is recommended for 24-48 h afterbreathing overexposure, as pulmonary edema may bedelayed. As first aid for pulmonary edema, a doctor orauthorized paramedic may consider administering a corticosteroid spray.Note to physician: For severe poisoning do not use BAL[British Anti-Lewisite, dimercaprol, dithiopropanol(C3H8OS2)] as it is contraindicated or ineffective in poisoning from cadmium.

storage

Color Code—Blue: Health Hazard: Store in asecure poison location. Store in tightly closed containers.Avoid contact with strong acids and oxidizers or moisture.

Shipping

UN2570 Cadmium compounds, Hazard Class: 6.1; Labels: 6.1-Poisonous materials, Technical Name Required.

Purification Methods

Crystallise it from water (1mL/g) by addition of EtOH and cooling. [Pray Inorg Synth V 153 1957, Wagenknecht & Juza in Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry (Ed. Brauer) Academic Press Vol II p 1093 1965.]

Incompatibilities

Incompatible with oxidizers (chlorates, nitrates, peroxides, permanganates, perchlorates, chlorine, bromine, fluorine, etc.); contact may cause fires or explosions. Keep away from alkaline materials, strong bases, strong acids, oxoacids, epoxides, sulfur, selenium, potassium.

Waste Disposal

It is preferred to convert the salt to the nitrate, precipitate it with H2S, filter, wash and dry the precipitate and return it to the supplier.