Talk:Indium

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article is supported by the Elements WikiProject, which gives a central approach to the chemical elements on Wikipedia. Please participate by editing this article, or visit the project page for more details.
This article has also been selected for the Version 0.5 release of Wikipedia.		 WikiProject on Chemistry
B This article has been rated as B-Class on the quality scale.
High This article has been rated as High-importance on the importance scale.

Article changed over to new Wikipedia:WikiProject Elements format by maveric149. Elementbox converted 14:50, 5 July 2005 by Femto (previous revision was that of 02:10, 23 May 2005).

Contents

[edit] Information Sources

Some of the text in this entry was rewritten from Los Alamos National Laboratory - Indium. Additional text was taken directly from USGS Indium Statistics and Information, from the Elements database 20001107 (via dict.org), Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (via dict.org) and WordNet (r) 1.7 (via dict.org). Data for the table was obtained from the sources listed on the main page and Wikipedia:WikiProject Elements but was reformatted and converted into SI units.

[edit] Talk

[edit] cost of indium

On the "Los Alamos National Laboratory" site it says: "The present cost of indium is about $1 to $5/g, depending on quantity and purity. "

This is far more expensive than it's said here.

According to my 2003-2004 Alfa Aesar (scientific supply) catalog, In prices range anywhere from US $1.5/g for 99.99% pure shot to $60 for a .23 g piece of very thin foil. I imagine industrial purchasers who would buy in large quantities and might not need super-high purity might be able to get it for less than $1/g.
Ah, here is an authoritative source: US Geological Survey It may be the source for the 2000 $188/kg number. Cost in 2003 was $170/kg and the estimated number for 2004 was $600/kg. It's not clear why the big jump from 2003 to 2004.
The "big jump" is probably due to increased demand from LCD manufacturers, who use indium-tin oxide as a transparent electrode. This is now one of the largest markets for indium.
I would suggest that the value in the article is correct. Eric 18:00, 19 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Recent prices of $700 to $1000/kg are reported on the Chinese metal industry news site metalfirst.com. In addition, the element collector's website emovendo.net has .9999 Indium available for just over $1/g as of 15-Feb-2006.

[edit] Boiling Point

I have changed the edit of 84.43.140.129 to reduce the number of significant digits in the boiling point, and to make the K and °C numbers consistent. Both the Los Alamos page and the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics list the boiling point as 2072°C. I'm very doubtful of the 2072.2222°C number, unless you can provide a citation. Eight digits of precision for a temperature that high seems unlikely. Eric 20:44, 13 May 2005 (UTC)

It isn't all that hard to figure out that the original for that degrees Celsius figure was 3,762 °F, with a conversion carried to a ridiculous number of places. Gene Nygaard

[edit] Dietary claims

Removed the following from article:

However, even though these toxic claims can be made about the metallic form of indium, the claims do not apply to a biologically safe form of indium that supports endocrine function and other functions of the body. Please see U.S. Patent #6,007,847 at [1] It is reported to be one of the most phenomenal discoveries in medical science by some. Many professionals compare the importance of indium as a dietary supplement to the importance of the organic form of germanium (bis beta carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide), which enhances oxygen levels in the body. Its importance is also compared to silica hydride, which is a negatively charged powedered hydrogen.

I don't know much about indium and dietary suppliments, but am quite skeptical. Please provide peer reviewed reference (not just pat. info). And the description of silicon hydride as negatively charged powedered hydrogen seems rather odd. Vsmith 03:57, 1 November 2005 (UTC)

  • The referenced patent consists of a way to administer indium by schpritzing an indium sulfide solution into your mouth. That's it. No claims of efficacy or any health benefits eaolson 00:27, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Dietary health claims are real

Effect of Indium on Mineral Absorption What does rare indium do, besides raising average mineral uptake 60 to 694%? Indium is a soft silvery super-metal discovered in 1850 that is found in an extremely dilute form in ocean water and earth ores.

Indium was first tested in 200 mice compared to 200 controls by Dartmouth Medical School's Dr. Henry A. Schroeder, J.J. Balassa, Marian Mitchner, M. Kanisawa, A.P. Nason, and W.H. Vinton in 1964-68; who reported that indium improved average mineral absorption in the glands 142%. Indium raised chromium in all organs average 333% (chromium helps regulate blood sugar). Indium users often report better sleep (pineal neurotransmitters), reduced headaches and anxiety ( as reported in research by Bonadio, Lyons and Marion). In the mice studies, indium also raised also raised average glandular manganese 94%, Zinc 79%, and Copper 61%. All of these are key trace minerals. Independent research conducted by www.rawfood.com indicates that indium acts as a magnet for trace minerals making them more biologically available.

Indium may improve alimentary assimilation of food and especially minerals. Over 1,000 human volunteers studied by patentee George Bonadio, and 1,300 lab animal studies over the past 30 years, suggest indium has dozens of health-giving qualities based on its ability to improve trace mineral assimilation.

Indium is reported to improve one's sense of overall well-being, mood, thinking and memory.

A study by the Austrian Morbus Altheimer Society using indium with music, massage and herbs reported 37% improvement in nervous system challenges in 24 patients in 30 days (compared to 8% in controls). Some people report experiencing restoration of hair color, and better hair growth. Dr. Lyons reported INDIUM may improve micro-circulation, lessen blood viscosity, enhance blood hemoglobin iron extending red blood cell life (and their oxygen capacity) from 90 to 120 days.

Indium is a surface antiseptic for skin, hands and utensils. Indium may enhance immunity and help speed the healing of cuts and burns (but do not use topically on broken skin). Indium may improve athletic performance by removing muscle lactic acid waste, enhancing endurance and recuperation. One report indicates that a retired racehorse fed indium, went out to win the next 6 races and set 2 new track records.

User:thomaslavoie —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.122.133.80 (talk • contribs) 16:31, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

  • The above text appears to have been copied from [2]. Just a quick response to each of these claims:
  1. What's a "super-metal"?
  2. I can find no published study by Schroeder et al. Schroeder has done some work in the uptake of essential metals, though. Similarly, no published study by Bonadio et al, or even any published study by Bonadio [3]. Obviously "independent research" by a site calling itself the "world's greatest catalog" is untrustworthy.
  3. What "some people report" is unimportant. "Some people" report every possible improvement for every possible substance under the sun when it comes to the alternative medicine industry.
  4. I can't find this study by the Austrian Society. I assume "Altheimer" should be "Alzheimer's". The web page is in German. I'm not sure what "enchance blood hemoglobin iron" means. It made it more iron-y?
eaolson 00:47, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

The original study about indium: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1249646&dopt=Abstract User:thomaslavoie

[edit] Toxicity

My Chemical Elements book says Indium is not very toxic when ingested, but can be if injected directly into the bloodstream. I will try to post a reference, but I do not have my books here.

Chemical Elements from Carbon to Krypton by David E Newton

Under Health Effects

The health effects of indium compounds are somewhat unusual. When taken by mouth, they are relatively harmless, when injected into the skin, however, they are very toxic.

[edit] Fusible Alloys with melting range of 123-125 C

I would like to know the possible composition of fusible alloys having the foll properties:

Melting Range: 123 - 125 C / Softening Range 120 - 122 C / Micro Hardness Less than 5 micro vickers @ 200 gms load

  • Why would you like to know these things? This is an encyclopedia page about indium. It sounds like you have a question best suited to library research. eaolson 15:18, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Half-life

What is the half-life of indium? The current text says 4×1010 years, but previously it stated 4×1014 years, which agrees with the value at chemicalelements.com. Anybody have a definitive reference? Julesd 16:37, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

See references at Talk:Isotopes of indium, they all agree on 4.41(25)×1014 years for 115In. I think the 4×1010 refers to the halflife of the earlier mentioned thorium, not to indium. That whole sentence still could need some clarification. Femto 18:57, 4 September 2006 (UTC)
I thought the same thing about thorium, but according to its page, it has a half life of 1.4E10, not 4E10 years. eaolson 19:07, 4 September 2006 (UTC)
Hum. It comes closer than the other value though. :) Looks like this has been 'fixed' by an IP and simply was wrong. (corrected the number, the sentence itself still needs clarification). Femto 19:23, 4 September 2006 (UTC)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../i/n/d/Talk%7EIndium_1c21.html"