Other Information on Indium

Indium is obtained from zinc ores. Nowadays indium is gathered and sold from zinc refineries. Other metals like aluminum, arsenic, antimony, and cadmium also produce dust from which indium can be recovered. Two methods are used to produce indium from this dust for the world industries. One involves reduction using an acid; the other uses electrolysis. Indium sulfide is usually the form in which indium is recovered from zinc ores. Indium has 49 protons, 49 electrons, and a different number of neutrons for each isotope. Most of indium's reactions are mild. Here are three mild reactions and one reaction where nothing happens:

• When indium is reacted with air it produces In₂O₃.
• Indium and hydrochloric acid produces H_2(g) and InCl_3(aq).
• The Reaction of indium and hydrogen nitrate yields In(NO₃)₃.
• When indium and sodium hydroxide are mixed there is no reaction.