Mahmood Farooqi, Ph.D., is vice president of technical operations for The Aldoa Co., Detroit, MI, a developer of finishing processes, metal cleaning technologies, aluminum treatments and solutions for wastewater treatment. He can be reached at 313.273.5705 or mahmoodfarooqi@aldoaco.com.
While it has not been possible to phase out cadmium deposits completely in the aerospace, marine and nuclear industries, researchers have developed less toxic, noncyanide cadmium plating systems. New zinc-alloy systems and post-treatment processes also hold promise as a means to reduce cadmium plating without compromising on performance.