Indium
📱 In Your World
Indium is the magic behind the screen you're likely reading this on. Its most important compound, indium tin oxide (ITO), is both transparent and electrically conductive—a rare combination. This makes it the perfect material for creating the electrodes in touchscreens, LCDs, and OLED displays. Indium metal is also very soft and is used to make low-melting-point alloys and solders.
📖 The Discovery Story
Indium was discovered in 1863 by German chemists Ferdinand Reich and Hieronymus Theodor Richter. While using spectroscopy to analyze zinc ores, they expected to see the green lines of thallium but instead observed a brilliant, previously unknown indigo blue spectral line. They named the new element "indium" from the Latin word indicum, meaning "indigo," after this distinctive color.
📊 Properties at a Glance
| Phase at STP | Solid |
| Melting Point | 156.6 °C / 313.9 °F |
| Boiling Point | 2072 °C / 3762 °F |
| Electron Configuration | [Kr] 4d¹⁰5s²5p¹ |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 0.000025% |
⚠️ Safety & Handling
Pure indium metal is considered to have low toxicity. However, there is limited data on the long-term effects of exposure to indium compounds like indium tin oxide, particularly through inhalation in industrial settings. As such, it should be handled with care in occupational environments.