Jul 15 2002
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In 1863, Reich and Richter discovered indium. The element was named after the bright indigo line that it emits in its atomic spectrum.
Occurrence
Indium mainly occurs along with zinc minerals and does not exist as a free element. The element is found commercially as a by-product of iron, lead, zinc, and copper ores. It is extracted through the electrolysis of indium salts in water.
Key Properties
Following are some of the properties of indium:
- Silvery white appearance
- Exhibits wetting towards glass
- Brilliant luster
- Very soft
- Remains stable in water and air, but dissolves in acids
- Similar to gallium, it produces a high-pitched cry upon being bent
Applications
Listed below are applications of indium:
- Thermistors
- Bearing alloys
- Low melting point alloys (for example, 24% indium, 76% gallium is liquid at room temperature)
- Solders
- Mirrors, where it can be evaporated onto glass or plated onto metals
- Rectifiers
- Germanium transistors
- Photoconductors
Indium compounds are used in:
- Liquid crystal displays (LCD), as indium tin oxide
- Semiconductors, as indium phosphide