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Cadmium’s future in US jeopardized by lithium-ion popularity

October 03, 2011 - 22:17 GMT Location: New York

KEYWORDS: cadmium , nicd , battery , lithium ion , minor metals

The use of cadmium in the United States is in jeopardy, given the increasing popularity of lower-priced lithium-ion batteries, minor metals traders told AMM.

Traders are pinning their hopes on the traditional pickup in demand ahead of the Christmas holiday season. The cadmium industry is typically slow before the holiday rush for nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries, which account for the majority of domestic use in rechargeable consumer batteries in cell phones, cameras and other consumer products.

U.S. cadmium prices have been as sluggish as demand, languishing at lows last seen in June 2009. High-grade cadmium is in a range of $1.30 to $1.40 per pound, while low-grade cadmium is between $1.20 and $1.30 per pound.

Given strong holiday demand, prices for high-grade cadmium could rise to $1.80 per pound by the end of November, but a weak economy could mean a slow holiday season,...

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