Cadmium Plating

Cadmium plating remains a critical finishing process for aerospace and defense applications. Its unique combination of properties — galvanic compatibility with aluminum, excellent lubricity, low contact resistance, and outstanding corrosion resistance in marine and salt spray environments — makes it the preferred coating for many fastener, fitting, and structural hardware applications.

Cadmium is anodic to steel, meaning it provides sacrificial protection — the cadmium coating corrodes preferentially, protecting the underlying steel substrate. This property, combined with its galvanic compatibility with aluminum alloys, makes cadmium-plated steel hardware the standard choice for aluminum airframe assemblies where dissimilar metal corrosion must be controlled.

Electron Plating III processes cadmium plating to QQ-P-416. We apply Type 1 (as plated) and Type 2 (with supplemental chromate treatment) coatings in all classes. Post-plate finishes include clear, gold, black, and olive drab. Hydrogen embrittlement relief baking is performed for high-strength steel parts per applicable requirements.