Indium

indium

roquesite

ramdohrite

yanomamite

Images

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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