Do you have to get this stuff to its melting point of
156.60°C
before going cold?
I'm kidding.......
Indium forms a very thin (nominal 100 Angstrom thick) oxide layer within a few hours under standard atmosphere. If you plan to use this foil as a laser mounting, cold welding or cryogenic gasketing media, it is important to remove the oxide layer prior to application. Abridged instructions (courtesy of Indium Corp.) are:
1. Degrease the indium with an organic solvent, such as acetone, to remove any organic contaminants.
2. Mildly etch the indium in a solution of 5-10% hydrochloric acid (by volume) at room temperature for 1 to 5 minutes, depending on oxide thickness, until surface appears bright.
3. Thoroughly rinse twice in DI water.
4. Rinse off the water with acetone (preferred) or isopropyl alcohol.
5. Blow-dry with dry nitrogen.
6. Because this procedure etches the Indium surface, exposing it to potential oxidation, only the indium that is going to be used immediately should be cleaned by this procedure.
7. If kept under standard conditions, the oxide will reform on the surface of the Indium in approximately 2-4 hours.
Some crazy neato stuff you gots there
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