Indium

• discovered in 1863 - until 1924, there was only about 1g of pure indium available on earth
   
• silvery white metal, malleable, ductile - even at cryogenic temperatures 
   
• chemically similar to aluminum and gallium and low melting point (156.6°C)
   
• historical uses include alloys, specialty solders, electronics, LED’s, low pressure Na lamps
   
• by 1992, the largest end use (currently 80-90%) was in thin film indium tin oxide (ITO) coatings for flat panel LCD and plasma displays where it acts as a transparent electrode
   
• a big market driver in years to come will be the growing usage of Cu-In-Ga selenide (CIGS) in the manufacture of thin film solar panels – currently represents only 1-2% of consumption
   
• there are no primary indium deposits
   
• it is derived as a by-product from the processing of sphalerite-based zinc ores
      
• the grades of indium at Crypto are exceptionally high
  
  
• 100% of US consumption is imported
  
  
• indium was recently classified by the US Dept of Energy as one of six metals critical to the American clean energy economy
   
• the Crypto project may represent the most important potential source of indium in the USA