Cadmium has been a preferred electroplated finish for fasteners, aircraft components, and military parts for decades. There have been recent efforts to find more environmentally friendly replacements for cadmium, and while numerous callouts have been changed to zinc or zinc alloy plating, cadmium is still in use.

Cadmium is a relatively soft metal with a natural lubricity that is useful for threaded fasteners. It tends to smear rather than gall, allowing for repeated disassembly for PM’s and repairs without losing the corrosion protection of the plating.

For years the predominant plating bath was cyanide based, and remains the bath of choice for low embrittlement plating on aircraft components. Acid plating baths have recently become a viable alternative in the effort to reduce the cyanide solutions in the industry.

Numerous chromates are available for including clear, yellow, black and olive drab, among others.

The military specification QQ-P-416 remains as the predominant
    callout for this finish.