Cadmium Finishing From Peninsula Metal Finishing

• 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.
  
  
• High strength metals, aviation parts, and most heat treated parts, require a low embrittlement plating bath to reduce the issues with hydrogen embrittlement during the plating process.
  
  
• Numerous chromates are available for including clear, yellow, black and olive drab, among others.
  
  
• Specifications that apply to this finish:
  
  
  • ASTM B 766
  • SAE-AMS-QQ-P-416
  • SAE-AMS-2400            (<180,000 ksi)
  • SAE-AMS-2401            (>180,000 ksi)         Low Embrittlement
  • MIL-STD 870                                                   Low Embrittlement
  • SAE-AMS-2451            (Brush Plate)           Low Embrittlement