Cadmium Cadmium is the rarest of the common metals and resembles Zinc in its properties although it is much softer. It is most commonly used for electroplating steel particles, the coating produced being corrosion resistant and readily soldered. It is also used in glass, in pigments - Cadmium Sulphide is bright yellow - in alloys and in storage batteries. Salts of Cadmium are poisonous. The current EC limit in drinking water is 0.005 mg/l.