Indium is a very soft, silvery-white metal with a
brilliant lustre. The pure metal gives a high-pitched "scream" when
bent. It wets glass, as does 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 of the world's supply of indium.
Isolation
Here is a brief summary of the isolation of
indium.
Indium would not normally be made in the
laboratory as it is commercially available. Indium is a byproduct of the
formation of lead and zinc. Indium metal is isolated by the electrolysis of
indium salts in water. Further processes are required to make very pure indium
for electronics purposes.
