indium
Sign in to saveIndium is a chemical element; it has symbol In and atomic number 49. It is a silvery-white post-transition metal and one of the softest elements. Chemically, indium is similar to gallium and thallium, and its properties are largely intermediate between the two. It was discovered in 1863 by Ferdinand Reich and Hieronymous Theodor Richter by spectroscopic methods and named for the indigo blue line in its spectrum.
AI overview
Indium is a soft, silvery-white metal that sits between gallium and thallium on the periodic table in terms of its chemical properties. It matters in modern technology because of its useful characteristics, though its primary applications aren't detailed in this background information.
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Article
22 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Properties
- Physical
- Isotopes
- Chemistry
- Indium(III) compounds
- Hydrides and halides
- Chalcogenides and pnictides
- Indium(I) compounds
- Compounds in other oxidation states
- Organoindium compounds
- History
- Occurrence
- Production and availability
- Applications
- Industrial uses
- Medical applications
- Biological role and precautions
- Notes
- References
- Sources
- External links
Indium is a chemical element; it has symbol In and atomic number 49. It is a silvery-white post-transition metal and one of the softest elements. Chemically, indium is similar to gallium and thallium, and its properties are largely intermediate between the two. It was discovered in 1863 by Ferdinand Reich and Hieronymous Theodor Richter by spectroscopic methods and named for the indigo blue line in its spectrum.
Indium is used primarily in the production of flat-panel displays as indium tin oxide (ITO), a transparent and conductive coating applied to glass. It is also used in the semiconductor industry, in low-melting-point metal alloys such as solders and soft-metal high-vacuum seals. It is used in the manufacture of blue and white LED circuits, mainly to produce Indium gallium nitride p-type semiconductor substrates. It is produced exclusively as a by-product during the processing of the ores of other metals, chiefly from sphalerite and other zinc sulfide ores.