Indium
Recapture Metals produces indium metal for low melting point alloys, solders, CIG and ITO targets in the following grades:
- 2N5 (99.5%)
- 4N5 (99.995%)
- 5N (99.999%)
Indium was discovered in 1863 by Reich and Richter, and was named indium as a reminder of the characteristic indigo blue color of its spectrum.
Indium does not occur in the native stage in nature. It is present in trace moments in many lead-, tin-, and zinc-bearing ores, from which it can be recovered as a by-product. It is a shiny, very malleable and ductile metal that melts at 156.6 degrees Celsius. Indium is not attacked in moist air, but dissolves in acid. It forms compounds with selenium, tellurium, antimony, and arsenic.
Indium was first used for the manufacturing of bearings for aircraft engines. It is a component of low-melting-point alloys, but its main usage presently is as indium oxide and indium-tin oxide (ITO) applied to glass as a conducting layer in optical-electronic devices (flat screens). High-purity indium (6N and above) has found applications in electronics, such as the InP single crystal.