Cadmium.

Cadmium is a soft ductile transition metal of silvery white color. Stable in dry air, in humid on its surface, an oxide film is formed, preventing further oxidation of the metal.

If the cadmium stick is bent, you can hear a weak cracking - it rubs against each other metal microcrystals (also cracks and tin rod).

• Cadmium is used as a component of hard solders (alloys based on silver, copper, zinc) to reduce their melting point. About 10% of the cadmium produced is a component of jewelry and light-melting alloys. Alloy of cadmium with gold has a greenish color
• 40% of the cadmium produced is used to apply anti-corrosion coatings to metals.
• About 20% of cadmium is used for the manufacture of cadmium electrodes used in batteries (nickel-cadmium and silver-cadmium), normal elements of Weston, in backup batteries (lead-cadmium element, mercury-cadmium element), etc.
• About 20% of cadmium is used for the production of inorganic coloring substances (sulphides and selenides, mixed salts, for example, cadmium sulfide - lemon cadmium).
• Cadmium is used in experimental medicine.
• In recent years, cadmium has been used in the creation of new antitumor nano-medications.
• Cadmium is used as a component of semiconductor materials and phosphors.
• Cadmium captures thermal neutrons very well and serves to make regulatory rods for nuclear reactors and as protection against neutrons.
• The thermal conductivity of cadmium near absolute zero is the highest among all metals, so cadmium is sometimes used for cryogenic engineering.