indium

American  

[in-dee-uhm] / ˈɪn di əm /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a rare metallic element, soft, white, malleable, and easily fusible, found combined in various ore minerals, especially sphalerite: so called from the two indigo-blue lines in its spectrum. In; 114.82; 49; 7.3 at 20°C.

---

indium British  

/ ˈɪndɪəm /

noun

1. a rare soft silvery metallic element associated with zinc ores: used in alloys, electronics, and electroplating. Symbol: In; atomic no: 49; atomic wt: 114.82; valency: 1, 2, or 3; relative density: 7.31; melting pt: 156.63°C; boiling pt: 2073°C

---

indium Scientific  

/ ĭn′dē-əm /

1. A soft, malleable, silvery-white metallic element that occurs mainly in ores of zinc and lead. It is used in the manufacture of semiconductors, in bearings for aircraft engines, and as a plating over silver in mirrors. Atomic number 49; atomic weight 114.82; melting point 156.61°C; boiling point 2,080°C; specific gravity 7.31; valence 1, 2, 3.

2. See Periodic Table

---

Etymology

Origin of indium

1860–65; < New Latin, equivalent to ind ( icum ) indigo + -ium -ium

Example Sentences

The process results in new alloys that can imitate platinum, silver and indium.

From The Wall Street Journal

For example, car batteries are often reliant on lithium, while indium is a rare metal used for touch screens.

From BBC

For their proof-of-concept work, the researchers used Field's metal, which is an alloy of indium, bismuth and tin.

From Science Daily

One of their samples turned out to be a brilliant blue, named YInMn blue after the component elements yttrium, indium and manganese.

From Science Daily

The resulting, extremely thin quantum semiconductors are composed of a single atom layer -- in indenene's case, indium atoms -- and act as topological insulators, conducting electricity virtually without resistance along their edges.

From Science Daily