cadmium?

something I saw today.......

If a piece of hardware is coated in cadmium, you SHOULD NOT grind, cut, wire brush or expose it to heat. These activities can create a particulate or fume that puts you at risk to cadmium exposure.

Places you may find cadmium coated hardware include, but are not limited to, slave hardware for testing operations. These may include bolts, threaded rods, and electrical connectors (see below example pictures). A greenish tint is one visual indication that the metal is coated in cadmium.

NOTE: Already installed hardware and the normal fastening of bolts and connectors does not pose a significant hazard. Wear nitrile gloves and wash up after handling these parts. Do not eat or drink in these areas.

Most of the Aircraft Fasteners We Use Are Cadmium Plated

The golden color on most is from a dichromate top coat. Cad is superior to zinc for both corrosion resistance and torque/tension.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP

Significant hazard? I grew up with mercurichrome all over me, DDT on the lead painted window sills, with a mercury coated dime in my pocket. I have lived in countries where the water wasn't fit to wash my car, let alone drink. Now I'm supposed to worry about handling bolts? I submit the only thing hazardous about cadmium bolts is that they are in an airplane. Airplanes will kill you.

Sorry, just had to vent...

Bob

videobobk said:

I submit the only thing hazardous about cadmium bolts is that they are in an airplane. Airplanes will kill you.

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I tend to agree but passed it along for those that could be sensitive to stuff like this.

Everything will eventually kill you!

Fact: 100% of people who drink milk will eventually die. Statistics!

Sorry, all in fun.

100% of drownings are cause by water, BAN WATER NOW!

Yes it is !!

Bob,
Yes, I have always said the airplane is trying to kill me and the more
experimental it is the easier it becomes.

Remember, three things will kill you....... John

Dihydrogen Monoxide is dangerous to RVs

n82rb said:

100% of drownings are cause by water, BAN WATER NOW!

Click to expand...

Dihydrogen Monoxide has many fatal forms and all RV'ers need to know what damage Dihydrogen Monoxide can do to us and our machines.

Passivation

Is this an issue of pure cadmium only? I've read that the cadmium plating used on aircraft fasteners is "... passivated by chromate salts." Does this have any bearing on the health hazards?

We had the same warnings when working with beryllium copper bearings. Again, only an issue if machining, especially grinding operations. It's the dust and fumes that are the issue.

I'm not at all worried about it, but information is power!

Beryllium is the worst if machining or sanding. But you can get sick with flu like symptoms from machining, burning, welding, sanding a variety of different metals or alloys. Metal fume fever