Cadmium sulfide is a yellow to orange crystalline inorganic compound that forms toxic cadmium oxide fumes when heated. Cadmium sulfide is used as a pigment in paints, plastics, textiles, ceramics and glass, and in solar cells, smoke and radiation detectors, light-emitting diodes and photomultiplier tubes. Exposure to this substance can irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract, and cause damage to the lungs, causing shortness of breath, chest pain, and pulmonary edema. It can also damage the kidneys, causing proteinuria and decreased kidney function. Calcium sulfide is a known carcinogen linked to an increased risk of lung cancer.
Application areas
pigment
Yellow cadmium sulfide pigment
CdS is used as a pigment in plastics and exhibits good thermal stability, light and weather resistance, chemical resistance and high opacity. As a pigment, CdS is known as Cadmium Yellow (CI Pigment Yellow 37).
historical uses in art
From the 1840s onwards, widespread commercial use of cadmium sulfide led to its adoption by artists, notably Van Gogh, Monet and Matisse. The presence of cadmium in paint has been used to detect fakes in paintings purportedly made before the 19th century.
CdS-CdSe Solution
CdS and CdSe form solid solutions with each other. Increasing the content of cadmium selenide can produce near-red pigments, such as CI Pigment Orange 20 and CI Pigment Red 108.
Where does cadmium sulfide come from?
Cadmium is found mainly in the form of cadmium sulfide in ores containing zinc, lead and copper.
What are the side effects of cadmium sulfide?
Effects of long-term or repeated exposure
The substance may have effects on the kidneys, bones and respiratory tract. This can lead to kidney damage, osteoporosis (osteoporosis), and chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract. This substance is carcinogenic to humans.
