Indium

Indium (pronounced /ˈɪndiəm/, IN-dee-əm) is a chemical element with chemical symbol In and atomic number 49. This rare, soft, malleable and easily fusible post-transition metal is chemically similar to aluminium or gallium but more closely resembles zinc (zinc ores are also the primary source of this metal). Indium's current primary application is to form transparent electrodes from indium tin oxide in liquid crystal displays and touchscreens, an... more

Indium (pronounced /ˈɪndiəm/, IN-dee-əm) is a chemical element with chemical symbol In and atomic number 49. This rare, soft, malleable and easily fusible post-transition metal is chemically similar to aluminium or gallium but more closely resembles zinc (zinc ores are also the primary source of this metal). Indium's current primary application is to form transparent electrodes from indium tin oxide in liquid crystal displays and touchscreens, and this use largely determines its global mining production. It is widely used in thin-films to form lubricated layers (during World War II it was widely used to coat bearings in high-performance aircraft). It is also used for making particularly low melting point alloys, and is a component in some lead-free solders. Radioactive indium-111 is used in nuclear medicine as an imaging agent to follow the movement of leukocytes in the body. Indium is a very soft, silvery-white, relatively rare true metal with a bright luster. As a pure metal, indium... less