Its name is derived from the indigo-blue color of its spectrum. Indium was discovered in 1863 in sphalerite, a sulfide ore of zinc, by Reich and Richter in Germany, but was not used commercially until 71 years later. Recovered almost exclusively as a byproduct of zinc, indium is softer than lead and can be refined to purities of up to 99.9999 percent.
While the first major commercialapplication for the metal was for dental alloys, today indium isused chiefly for thin-film coatings in electro-luminescent lampsand liquid-crystal displays. Solders and alloys are also importantapplications. Indium semiconductor compounds are also used inphotovoltaic devices, infrared detectors, high-speed transistorsand certain other applications.
The total market for indium hasexperienced annual growth averaging over 10% for the past 56 yearsand is expected to grow at a similar rate for the foreseeablefuture. Indium is a critical raw material for a number ofdeveloping information technology markets, although the mostimportant is that for flat panel displays. These ITO films arecentral to a number of display technologies, notably liquid crystaldisplays and plasma displays. The markets for these flat paneldisplays are booming, particularly for computer monitors andtelevisions. High rates of growth in this industry will generateincreased demand for indium and the consumption in this market isexpected to grow at a rate of over 12% a year. At forecast rates ofgrowth, indium demand in ITO coatings will account for 745tpy by2008,approximately 85% of total demand. The forecast growth inindium demand will be largely met by an increase in recycling,initially in Japan and later in the rest of the world. The rate ofrecycling will rise from its current level of just over 40% toapproximately 60% by 2008. Increased production of secondary indiumwill meet much of the projected increase in demand over the yearsto 2008. Consumption of primary indium is expected to grow ataround 4%pa, whereas the growth in consumption of secondarymaterial will increase by almost 19%pa.
Indium has many use, some of the more common ones are: Alloyingwith Tin for use in screen technology,Batteries, Semi-conductorcomponents, and Solders.Uses:For special solder,painting,makingalloy, high-purity indium and ellctronics industry application
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