Indium hydroxide

Indium hydroxide powder is a white, water-insoluble, powdered substance with a specific chemical composition (In (OH)₃) and a molecular weight of 165.84. It can be used as a precursor for the preparation of Indium Oxide, and it has important applications in high-tech fields such as semiconductor materials and transparent conductive films. It decomposes when heated above 150°C. It is mainly chemically extracted from indium oxide by chemical means. It is mainly extracted chemically from indium ores. It is also sometimes found in the rare mineral indium hydroxide.

Properties

Chemical formula: In(OH)₃;

Molecular weight: 165.84;

Solubility: insoluble in water, soluble in acids and strong bases such as potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide.

Appearance: white powder;

Density: 4.38 g/cm³

Melting point: 150 °C (decomposition occurs when heated above 150 °C);

Refractive index: 1.725;

Applications

Preparation of indium oxide and ITO targets:

Indium oxide preparation: Indium hydroxide is an important precursor for the preparation of indium oxide. Indium oxide can be obtained by calcining indium hydroxide powder at a certain temperature (e.g. 600°C-1000°C). Indium oxide is an important semiconductor material, widely used in electronics, optoelectronics and other fields.

ITO target production: ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) targets are widely used in solar cells and transparent conductive films. Through high temperature calcination of specific specifications of indium hydroxide, high performance, high density indium oxide powder can be obtained, and then used for the preparation of ITO targets. High-quality ITO targets are essential for improving the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of solar cells and the conductivity of transparent conductive films.

Battery field:

Mercury corrosion inhibitor for alkaline-manganese batteries: Indium hydroxide powder can be used as a mercury substitute in alkaline-manganese batteries, acting as a corrosion inhibitor, lowering the self-discharge rate of the battery, and improving the storage performance and service life of the battery. This is of great significance to reduce the use of mercury in batteries and reduce the pollution to the environment.

Optical field:

Transparent electrode materials: indium oxide has good electrical conductivity and light transmittance, and indium oxide prepared from indium hydroxide can be used to manufacture transparent electrodes, such as in flat liquid crystal displays, touch screens and other devices, transparent electrodes are one of the key components.

Transparent heat reflector materials: In some application scenarios that require both transparency and heat reflection, such as architectural glass and automotive glass, materials prepared based on indium hydroxide can play an important role in ensuring good lighting and effectively reflecting heat to reduce energy consumption.

Other fields:

Semiconductor materials: Due to the special electronic structure of indium, indium hydroxide and its derivative indium oxide have some potential applications in the semiconductor field, and can be used to prepare semiconductor devices, such as field effect transistors.

Ceramic materials: In the production of ceramics, the addition of an appropriate amount of indium hydroxide powder can improve the performance of ceramics, such as improving the hardness, abrasion resistance and high-temperature resistance of ceramics.

Chemical reagents: In some chemical experiments and analyses, indium hydroxide can be used as a reagent for testing and analysing other substances.