Indium is used to coat high speed bearings! Indium is a very
soft, silvery white metal with a brilliant luster. The pure metal
gives a high-pitched "scream" when bent. It wets glass, and gallium.
It is useful for making low melting alloys. An alloy of 24% indium
and 76% gallium is liquid at room temperature. Canada produces the
majority of the world's supply of indium.
Indium was discovered in 1863. It is a rare metal found as a
trace element in zinc and lead sulfide ores. Therefore, zinc refineries
are the world's major source of indium. Over a thousand kilograms
of indium are recovered each year from the flue dust of zinc refineries.
Indium is characterized as a soft and malleable, silvery white metal.
It looks like aluminum, but resembles
tin when being bent. Indium is so soft that it rubs onto other
objects in much the same way as
graphite and pencil lead. Pure indium can be polished and it
will retain its shine as it is corrosion resistant.
Indium is used mostly for electroplating steel bearings. It is used
in sprinklers as an alloy as it lowers the
melting point of other metals. This low melting point contributes to
its commercial value as an alloying
agent for soldering material. Relatively small amounts are used
in dental items and in semiconductors with
phosphorus. Long-lived indium battery has also been devised to
power electronic wrist watches. |
