Facts About Indium.

Pedro_P

A 2-by4.5-cm ingot of indium weighs 40 grams.
Credit: Images of elements
▼ Indium is a lustrous silvery metal that is so soft and malleable it can be scratched with a fingernail and bent into nearly any shape. In nature, indium is quite rare and nearly always found as a trace element in other minerals — particularly in zincand lead— from which it is typically obtained as a byproduct. Its estimated abundance in the Earth's crust is 0.1 parts per million (ppm) — a little more abundant than silver or mercury, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Indium has a low melting point for a metal: 313.9 degrees Fahrenheit (156.6 degrees Celsius). At anything above this temperature, it burns with a violet or indigo flame. Indium's name is derived from the brilliant indigo light it shows in a spectroscope.
Just the facts
*.Atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus): 49
*.Atomic symbol (on the periodic table of the elements): In
*.Atomic weight (average mass of the atom): 114.8.8
*.Density: 7.31 grams per cubic centimeter
*.Phase at room temperature: Solid
*.Melting point: 313.88 degrees F (156.6 degrees C)
*.Boiling point: 3,761.6 F (2,072 C)
*.Number of isotopes (atoms of the same element with a different number of neutrons): 35 whose half-lives are known; 1 stable; 2 naturally occurring
*.Most common isotope: In-115
Discovery
Indium was discovered in 1863 by the German chemist Ferdinand Reich at the Freiberg School of Mines in Germany. Reich was studying a sample of a zinc mineral blend that he thought might contain the recently discovered element thallium. After roasting the ore to remove most of the sulfur, he applied hydrochloric acid to the remaining materials. He then observed a yellowish solid appear. He suspected this could be the sulfide of a new element, but since he was color blind, he asked fellow German chemist Hieronymous T. Richter to examine the sample's spectrum. Richter noted a brilliant violet-colored line, which did not match the spectral line of any known element.
Working together, the two scientists isolated a sample of the new element and announced its discovery. They named the new element indium, after the Latin wordindicum, meaning violet. Unfortunately, their relationship turned sour when Reich learned that Richter had claimed to be the discoverer, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry(RSC).
Uses
More than a century after indium's discovery, the element still lay in relative obscurity since no one knew what to do with it. Today, indium is vital to the world's economy in the form of indium tin oxide (ITO). This is because ITO remains the best material to fill the growing need for LCD's (liquid crystal displays) in touch screens, flat screen TVs and solar panels.
ITO has several properties that make it perfect for LCD's and other flat panel displays: It is transparent; conducts electricity; adheres strongly to glass; resists corrosion; and is chemically and mechanically stable.
ITO is also commonly used to make thin coatings for glass and mirrors. When coated over the windshields of aircraft or cars, for example, ITO allows the glass to de-ice or de-mist, and it can reduce air conditioning requirements.
The growing demand for LCDs has increased indium's prices considerably in recent years, according to the RSC. However, recycling and manufacturing efficiency have helped create a good balance between supply and demand.
Indium is commonly used to make alloys and is often referred to as the "metal vitamin," meaning that tiny levels of indium can make a drastic difference in an alloy, according to the RSC. For example, adding small amounts of indium to goldand platinumalloys makes them much harder. Indium alloys are used to coat the bearings of high-speed motors and other metal surfaces. Its low-melting alloys are also used in sprinkler heads, fire-door links, and fusible plugs.
Indium metal remains unusually soft and malleable at very low temperatures, making it perfect for use in tools needed in extremely cold conditions, such as cryogenic pumps and high vacuum systems. Another unique quality is its stickiness, making it very useful as a solder.
Indium is used in the making of various electrical devices such as rectifiers (devices that convert an alternating current into a direct one), thermistors (an electrical resistor dependent on temperature) and photoconductors (devices that increase their electrical conductivity when exposed to light).
Source & abundance (▪ ▪ ▪)

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chanakyakripa

Didn't know of this element. Never did read about it in the periodic table too. Very good info. Kep posting such articles for these acts as knowledge vitamin. At first looking at the name I thought it was discovered or somehow related to India. But found out not to be so.

Ananya10

Quite good information

Ananya10

What are the properties of Indium which makes them good for developing alloys?

Ananya10

chanakyakripa 15-8-2018 09:25 PM
Didn't know of this element. Never did read about it in the periodic table too. Very good info. Kep  ...

Yes, you too can share such information...dintdobe always in an awe...start surfing