Indium is a chemical element with symbol In and atomic number 49. It is a post-transition metallic element that is rare in Earth's crust. The metal is very soft, malleable and easily fusible, with a melting point higher than sodium, but lower than lithium or tin.
Three reasons Indium stands out
- 1
A soft and safe metal for chewing.
- 2
Its tin oxide compound is the transparent conductor coating found on virtually every LCD touchscreen in the world.
- 3
It makes a distinctive high-pitched crackling sound, known as a "cry," when a bar of it is bent.
The quiet ingredient in every touchscreen
Indium is soft enough to mark paper and squeaks when bent, but its most familiar role is invisible. Indium tin oxide combines transparency with electrical conductivity, creating the clear electrodes in touchscreens and displays. Most indium is recovered as a by-product of zinc processing.