Indium

Indium, chemical element, symbol In; for physical constants see Periodic Table. Indium was discovered spectroscopically by Ferdinand Reich and H.T. Richter (1863). The element is most frequently associated with zinc minerals, but is also found in iron, lead, and copper ores. It is prepared as a byproduct in the smelting of zinc. Indium is a silvery-white, soft, low-melting metal. Indium and its compounds are used in making dental alloys, bearing alloys, transistors, solar batteries, and other semiconductor devices.