Elements of Indium by Indium Corporation: Low Melting Point
In celebration of Indium Corporation’s 85th anniversary, the company will release monthly installments of the Elements of Indium Series—an educational program to raise awareness of the unique applications, abundance, and interesting properties of the 49th element.
Elements of Indium by Indium Corporation: Low Melting Point
Indium Corporation is the global leader for indium metal and associated technologies. Because of its unique properties with virtually limitless applications, indium metal is literally all around us.
One of indium metal’s unique characteristics is its low-melting point. Low-temperature alloys, which typically contain indium or bismuth, melt at temperatures less than 180°C. These alloys are used in a wide variety of applications, including:
- Step soldering involving temperature-sensitive components
- Soldering to molded interconnect device (MID) plastics
- Fusible alloys and fuse applications
- Thermal and electrical conductivity
Because of its low melting point, indium and bismuth alloys have been used in fire suppression systems for years. These alloys melt at low enough temperatures – from 50 to 100°C – to trigger safety devices in the event of a fire.
For more information on indium metal, visit www.indium.com/indium49.
Indium Corporation is a premier materials manufacturer and supplier to the global electronics, semiconductor, thin-film, and thermal management markets. Products include solders and fluxes; brazes; thermal interface materials; sputtering targets; indium, gallium, germanium, and tin metals and inorganic compounds; and NanoFoil®. Founded in 1934, the company has global technical support and factories located in China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the USA.
For more information about Indium Corporation, visit www.indium.com or email abrown@indium.com. You can also follow our experts, From One Engineer To Another®(#FOETA), at www.facebook.com/indium or @IndiumCorp.