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Symbol: In
Indium is a metal element that occurs in the native state
Crystal System: Tetragonal
Specific gravity: 7.29 calculated
Hardness: 3
Colour: Silvery white
Boiling point: 2070oC
Melting point: 156.6oC, the melting point depends on the ratio of indium to gallium; an alloy
with 24% indium and 76% gallium, for example, melts at justoC (ChC).
Abundance in the Earth’s crust: 250 parts per billion by mass, 47 parts per billion by moles (ChC)
Abundance in the Solar System: 4 parts per billion by mass, 40 parts per trillion by moles (ChC)
Environments
Plutonic igneous environments
Metamorphic environments
Native indium occurs in greisenised and
albitised granite
(Webmin). It was named after its
characteristic spectral line – the ‘indi’ coming from the colour indigo. When present in compounds, indium
exists mostly in the oxidation state III
(ChC).
Localities
At the type locality, the Orlovskoye mine, Orlovskoye, Khiloksky District, Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia,
indium occurs in greisenised and
albitised granite, associated
with silver and native lead
(HOM, Dana).
Indium-bearing minerals include:
Alloys
viteite
Sulphides
cadmoindite
indite
ishiharaite
roquesite
Sulphosalts
ramdohrite
Hydroxides
dzhalindite
Arsenates
yanomamite
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