Indium

Metals -> Metals, Inorganic Compounds

Flammable agents - 3rd degree

7.31 (NIOSH, 2024) - Denser than water; will sink

7.31 g/cu cm at 20 °C

7.3 g/cm³

7.31

7.31 @ 20°C

7.31

Soft, white metal with bluish tinge. Ductile, malleable, softer than lead, leaves a mark on paper, crystalizes.

Soft, silvery-white, malleable and ductile metal. Has plastic properties at cryogenic temperatures

Insoluble (NIOSH, 2024)

Insoluble in water in bulk form; soluble in most acids.

Soluble in acids. Insoluble in alkalis.

Insoluble in hot or cold water; very slightly soluble in sodium hydroxide

Solubility in water: none

Insoluble

3767 °F at 760 mmHg (NIOSH, 2024)

2072 °C

2000 °C

3767 °F

2080 °C @760 [mm Hg]

3767 °F

314 °F (NIOSH, 2024)

156.6 °C

156.6 °C

314 °F

156.61 °C

314 °F

0 mmHg (approx) (NIOSH, 2024)

1.14X10-19 Pa at melting point

0 mmHg (approx)

0 mmHg (approx)

Soft, ductile, shiny, silver-white metal. Mp: 155.6 °C; bp: 2080 °C. Density 7.31 g cm-3.

Other Solid

Ductile, shiny, silver-white metal that is softer than lead; [NIOSH] Oxidation states: 1+, 2+, and 3+; Only 3+ stable in water; [Nordberg, p. 845]

SILVER-WHITE METAL OR BLACK POWDER.

Ductile, shiny, silver-white metal that is softer than lead.

Ductile, shiny, silver-white metal that is softer than lead.

Emits a "tin cry" upon bending. Ductile, malleable, softer than lead, leaves a mark on paper. Quite stable in air. Crystallizes and is diamagnetic.

Mohs' Hardness = 1.2

Incandesces

BP: 2080 °C; mp: 156.61 °C

Specific heat: 0.0568 cal/g/deg C

Specific heat: 0.233 kJ/(kg K) at 25 °C; electrical resistivity: 291 ohm m at 20 °C; electrode oxidation-reduction potential: 0.38 V; Brinell hardness number: 0.9; tensile strength: 1.6 MPa at 20 °C.

This chemical does not meet GHS hazard criteria for 18.6% (69 of 371) of reports.

Danger

H302 (15.1%): Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]

P260, P261, P264, P264+P265, P270, P271, P280, P301+P317, P302+P352, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P317, P319, P321, P330, P332+P317, P337+P317, P362+P364, P403+P233, P405, and P501 (click each P-code to see the statement)

Aggregated GHS information provided per 371 reports by companies from 20 notifications to the ECHA C&L Inventory. Each notification may be associated with multiple companies.

Not Classified

Chemical: Indium

Indium is listed on the EPA's Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) system. Manufacturers and importers of Indium are required to report information about their production and use of this chemical to the EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). (40 eCFR Part 711)

Status: Active Update: 21-04-2021 https://echa.europa.eu/registration-dossier/-/registered-dossier/22264

Indium: Does not have an individual approval but may be used under an appropriate group standard

The New Jersey Worker and Community Right to Know Act requires public and private employers to provide information about hazardous substances at their workplaces. (N.J.S.A. 34:5A-1 et. seq.)

Excerpt from ERG Guide 170 [Metals (Powders, Dusts, Shavings, Borings, Turnings, or Cuttings, etc.)]:

Not combustible. Finely dispersed particles form explosive mixtures in air.

Mixtures with sulfur ignite when heated.

Flammable in the form of dust when exposed to heat or flame.

Finely dispersed particles form explosive mixtures in air.

Not combustible.

Ionic indium is toxic to the kidneys; Colloidal indium is toxic to the liver; A single case report of pulmonary fibrosis: worker was exposed for 4 years to indium-tin oxide in a plant making flat-panel plasma screens; [Nordberg, p. 845, 851] A study of interstitial lung disease in indium-processing workers suggested that inhaled indium could be a potential cause of occupational lung disease. [Reference #1] A TLV-TWA of 0.1 mg/m3, measured as indium, is recommended for occupational exposure to indium and its compounds. This value is intended to minimize the potential for adverse effects on the lungs, including pulmonary edema, acute pneumonitis, and possible skeletal and gastrointestinal disorders. [ACGIH] See Indium tin oxide.

Section 8(a) of TSCA requires manufacturers of this chemical substance to report preliminary assessment information concerned with production, exposure, and use to EPA as cited in the preamble in 51 FR 41329. Effective date: 8/27/01; Reporting date: 10/24/01.

Pursuant to section 8(d) of TSCA, EPA promulgated a model Health and Safety Data Reporting Rule. The section 8(d) model rule requires manufacturers, importers, and processors of listed chemical substances and mixtures to submit to EPA copies and lists of unpublished health and safety studies. Indium is included on this list. Effective date: 6/3/04; Sunset date: 8/2/04.

INDIUM is a non-combustible solid in bulk form but is flammable in the form of a dust. Reacts with strong oxidizing agents. Reacts explosively with dinitrogen tetraoxide dissolved in acetonitrile. Reacts violently with mercury(II)bromide at 350 °C. Mixtures with sulfur ignite when heated.

Excerpt from ERG Guide 170 [Metals (Powders, Dusts, Shavings, Borings, Turnings, or Cuttings, etc.)]:

In case of fire in the surroundings, use appropriate extinguishing media.

Fresh air, rest. Refer for medical attention.

Remove contaminated clothes. Rinse and then wash skin with water and soap.

First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible), then refer for medical attention.

Rinse mouth.

Excerpt from NIOSH Pocket Guide for Indium:

(General first aid procedures)

Separated from food and feedstuffs, strong oxidants, strong acids and incompatible materials ... Well closed.

Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, well-ventilated area away from mineral acids and sulfur. Where possible, automatically transfer from drums or other storage containers to process containers. /Indium and compounds/

Remove all ignition sources. Personal protection: particulate filter respirator adapted to the airborne concentration of the substance. Sweep spilled substance into covered containers. If appropriate, moisten first to prevent dusting. Carefully collect remainder. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations.

Recovered indium has a recycled value, so a minium quantity is discarded. Closed containers are required for the disposal of indium and its. compounds. The environmental hazard from indium appears to result from the use and disposal of radioactive isotopes and not chemical toxicity. /indium and compounds/

Remove all ignition sources. Personal protection: particulate filter respirator adapted to the airborne concentration of the substance. Sweep spilled substance into covered containers. If appropriate, moisten first to prevent dusting. Carefully collect remainder. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations.

SRP: The scientific literature for the use of contact lenses by industrial workers is inconsistent. The benefits or detrimental effects of wearing contact lenses depend not only upon the substance, but also on factors including the form of the substance, characteristics and duration of the exposure, the uses of other eye protection equipment, and the hygiene of the lenses. However, there may be individual substances whose irritating or corrosive properties are such that the wearing of contact lenses would be harmful to the eye. In those specific cases, contact lenses should not be worn. In any event, the usual eye protection equipment should be worn even when contact lenses are in place.

The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol and by ingestion.

inhalation, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact

Cough. Shortness of breath. Sore throat.

Redness. Pain.

Nausea. Vomiting.

irritation eyes, skin, respiratory system; possible liver, kidney, heart, blood effects; pulmonary edema

For those with frequent or potentially high exposure (half the TLV or greater), the following are recommended before beginning work and at regular times after that: lung function tests. If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the following may be useful: liver and kidney function tests, complete blood count. Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure. /Indium and compounds/

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Irritation of eyes, skin, respiratory system; possible liver, kidney, heart, blood effects. /Indium and compounds/

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Long term exposure: Possible liver, kidney, heart, blood effects (NIOSH). Indium may damage the developing fetus. May damage the lungs. /Indium and compounds/

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Short term exposure: Indium can affect you when breathed in. Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. Exposure to high levels may damage the kidneys and liver. Indium can iritate the lungs and may cause permanent damage. Higher exposures can cause pulmonary edema, a medical emergency that can be delayed for several hours. This can cause death. /Indium and compounds/

/OTHER TOXICITY INFORMATION/ Routes of entry: Inhalation, ingestion; skin and/or eye contact. /Indium and compounds/

/LABORATORY ANIMALS: Developmental or Reproductive Toxicity/ The subcellular behavior of several mineral elements was studied using modern techniques of observation like transmission electron microscopy and analysis like electron probe microanalysis and secondary ion mass spectrometry. In the present ultrastructural and analytical investigations, we undertake to compare the intracellular behavior of a heavy metal, gold, and a III-A group element, indium, on rat testicular tissues after their parenteral administrations. Our ultrastructural results showed that while gold was found only in the lysosomes of Leydig cells under electron dense needles, indium was observed as electron-dense deposits in the lysosomes of both Leydig and Sertoli cells. No ultrastructural modifications were observed in the testicular tissues of the control rats. The microanalytical study showed that gold was concentrated in lysosomes with sulfur as a sulfate crystalline structure whereas indium was concentrated in the same organelle as insoluble phosphate salt. These results demonstrated that testicular Leydig and Sertoli cells have the ability to selectively concentrate indium but gold was concentrated only in the first kind of cells. The mechanism implicated in this concentration phenomenon is a biochemical one involving intralysosomal hydrolytic enzymes, the acid phosphatase and the arylsulfatase. This mechanism occurs in order to protect the organism and to avoid the presence of toxic metals under soluble and free form.

/LABORATORY ANIMALS: Developmental or Reproductive Toxicity/ Indium, a precious metal classified in group 13 (IIIB) in the periodic table, has been used increasingly in the semiconductor industry. Because indium is a rare metal, technology for indium recycling from transparent conducting films for liquid crystal displays is desired, and its safety evaluation is becoming increasingly necessary. The developmental toxicity of indium in experimental animals was summarized. The intravenous or oral administration of indium to pregnant animals causes growth inhibition and the death of embryos in hamsters, rats, and mice. The intravenous administration of indium to pregnant animals causes embryonic or fetal malformation, mainly involving digit and tail deformities, in hamsters and rats. The oral administration of indium also induces fetal malformation in rats and rabbits, but requires higher doses. No teratogenicity has been observed in mice. Caudal hypoplasia, probably due to excessive cell loss by increased apoptosis in the tailbud, in the early postimplantation stage was considered to account for indium-induced tail malformation as a possible pathogenetic mechanism. Findings from in vitro experiments indicated that the embryotoxicity of indium could have direct effects on the conceptuses. Toxicokinetic studies showed that the embryonic exposure concentration was more critical than the exposure time regarding the embryotoxicity of indium. It is considered from these findings that the risk of the developmental toxicity of indium in humans is low, unless an accidentally high level of exposure or unknown toxic interaction occurs because of possible human exposure routes and levels (i.e. oral, very low-level exposure).

/SRP:/ Immediate first aid: Ensure that adequate decontamination has been carried out. If patient is not breathing, start artificial respiration, preferably with a demand valve resuscitator, bag-valve-mask device, or pocket mask, as trained. Perform CPR if necessary. Immediately flush contaminated eyes with gently flowing water. Do not induce vomiting. If vomiting occurs, lean patient forward or place on the left side (head-down position, if possible) to maintain an open airway and prevent aspiration. Keep patient quiet and maintain normal body temperature. Obtain medical attention. /Poisons A and B/

/SRP:/ Basic treatment: Establish a patent airway (oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway, if needed). Suction if necessary. Watch for signs of respiratory insufficiency and assist ventilations if needed. Administer oxygen by nonrebreather mask at 10 to 15 L/min. Monitor for pulmonary edema and treat if necessary ... . Monitor for shock and treat if necessary ... . Anticipate seizures and treat if necessary ... . For eye contamination, flush eyes immediately with water. Irrigate each eye continuously with 0.9% saline (NS) during transport ... . Do not use emetics. For ingestion, rinse mouth and administer 5 mL/kg up to 200 mL of water for dilution if the patient can swallow, has a strong gag reflex, and does not drool ... . Cover skin burns with dry sterile dressings after decontamination ... . /Poisons A and B/

/SRP:/ Advanced treatment: Consider orotracheal or nasotracheal intubation for airway control in the patient who is unconscious, has severe pulmonary edema, or is in severe respiratory distress. Positive-pressure ventilation techniques with a bag valve mask device may be beneficial. Consider drug therapy for pulmonary edema ... . Consider administering a beta agonist such as albuterol for severe bronchospasm ... . Monitor cardiac rhythm and treat arrhythmias as necessary ... . Start IV administration of D5W /SRP: "To keep open", minimal flow rate/. Use 0.9% saline (NS) or lactated Ringer's if signs of hypovolemia are present. For hypotension with signs of hypovolemia, administer fluid cautiously. Watch for signs of fluid overload ... . Treat seizures with diazepam or lorazepam ... . Use proparacaine hydrochloride to assist eye irrigation ... . /Poisons A and B/

Section 8(a) of TSCA requires manufacturers of this chemical substance to report preliminary assessment information concerned with production, exposure, and use to EPA as cited in the preamble in 51 FR 41329. Effective date: 8/27/01; Reporting date: 10/24/01.

Pursuant to section 8(d) of TSCA, EPA promulgated a model Health and Safety Data Reporting Rule. The section 8(d) model rule requires manufacturers, importers, and processors of listed chemical substances and mixtures to submit to EPA copies and lists of unpublished health and safety studies. Indium is included on this list. Effective date: 6/3/04; Sunset date: 8/2/04.

Used in bearings, solder, yellow glass, lubricants, motion picture screens, mirrors, transistors, and infrared detectors; [HSDB] Used to make semiconductors (indium phosphide and indium arsenide) and nanoparticles (indium phosphide); Also used in ceramic glazes, electroplating, dental alloys, solders, and medical radioisotopes; [Nordberg, p. 846] Increased potential for inhalation exposure to aerosols of powders or ceramics: manufacturing of inorganic indium compounds, ITO sputter target resurfacing between deposition runs, cleaning sputter chamber interior walls and shields, and abrasive blasting to remove residues on sputter chamber parts; Low indium exposure: use of indium metal solders, reflow of indium metal targets, alloying of indium metal with other metals, fabrication of InP-based semiconductor devices, and preparation of solder pastes; Also used to make nuclear control rods; [Reference #2]

Abrasive Blasting [Category: Clean]

Low-melting alloys, bearings, dental alloys, nuclear reactor control rods, low-pressure lamps, electrical contacts, alkaline dry batteries, phosphors, semiconductors (lasers, photodectors, integrated cirucits, CCDs in infra-red videos cameras), liquid crystal displays

In bearing alloys; as a thin film on moving surfaces made from other metals. In dental alloys. In semiconductor research. In nuclear reactor control rods (in the form of an Ag-In-Cd alloy)

Automobile bearings, ... low-melting brazing and soldering alloys, reactor control rods, electroplated coatings on silver-plated steel aircraft bearings that are tarnish resistant, radiation detector.

More recently, gallium and indium alloys have been incorporated into dental alloys as surface hardening agents for dental restoration.

Typical Analysis of 99.99% purity indium:[Table#6530]

Typical analysis of high purity indium by GDMS (glow discharge mass spectroscopy):[Table#6531]

Qualities ranging from 99.97% to 99.99999% indium are commercially available. Impurities may be metallic (Ag, Cu, Pb, Sb, Sn, Cd, Tl, Zn, Fe, Al, Ga) and nonmetallic (S, Cl, O, Se, N). Their concentrations depend on the origin of the indium-containing feed material and on the production and refining process. Commercial grades are 99.97% (3N7), 99.99% (4N), 99.999% (5N), 99.9999% (6N), and 99.99999% (7N).

It is estimated that 77 metric tons were imported during 1998.

Indium: Salient Import Statistics for the United States

2023: 27,535 lb

Indium production in the U.S. during 1999 was confined to the upgrading of imported metal and the recycling of scrap.

Production volumes for non-confidential chemicals reported under the Inventory Update Rule.[Table#6536]

Production volume for non-confidential chemicals reported under the 2006 Inventory Update Rule. Chemical: Indium. Aggregated National Production Volume: < 500,000 pounds.

Non-confidential 2012 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) information on the production and use of chemicals manufactured or imported into the United States. Chemical: Indium. National Production Volume: 244,902 lb/yr.

World refinery production:

Domestic consumption in 1999 was estimated at about 52 tons. World consumption of indium is expected to increase throughout the next decade, especially for production of LCD's.

Indium: Salient Consumption Statistics for the United States

Indium is recovered from fumes, dusts, slags, residues and alloys from zinc or lead-zinc smelting. The source material itself - a reduction bullion, flue dust, or electrolytic slime intermediate - is leached with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid. Then the solutions are concentrated if necessary, and crude indium is recovered as 99+% metal. This crude indium is then refined to 99.99%, 99.999%, 99.9999%, or higher grades by a variety of conventional chemical and electrochemical processes.

Indium is made in purities from 99.999% (5N) purity to 99.99999+% (7N+) in small-size ingots. They can range from 5 grams to several hundred grams each, often with very specific dimensions depending on the use and the needs of the customer.

Available forms: Small ingots or bars, shot, pencils, wire, sheets, powder, single crystals.

Indium is produced primarily in ingot form by most refiners. These ingots range from 0.5 to 10 kg in size. ... Indium ingots are generally used for metallurgical additives, sacrificial anodes, manufacturing of alloys, and bonding applications.

Indium is made in shot form in 99.99% purity primarily, but also 99.999% and higher purity for the manufacture of specialty alloys where small-quantity additions need to be made. The higher-purity shot is used in the semiconductor industry.

For more Formulations/Preparations (Complete) data for Indium, Elemental (7 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing

Indium: ACTIVE

Hafnium can replace indium in nuclear reactor control rod alloys.

Indium has two natural isotopes: In-115 (95.72 %) and In-113 (4.28 %). The abundance of indium in the earth crust is comparable to that of silver, i.e., 0.1 ppm.

Indium forms alloys with most other metals. Extensive solid solutions are formed with lead, thallium, and mercury.

Seventy isotopes and isomers are now recognized (more than any other element). Natural indium contains two isotopes. One is stable. The other, (115)In, comprising 95.7% of natural indium is slightly radioactive with a very long half-life.