Indium

The book reviews the geological, mineralogical, geochemical and petrological characteristics of indium-bearing ore deposits. Furthermore it develops a general metallogenic concept for indium in identifying the essential enrichment processes and their economic significance. It represents the first comprehensive study on the metallogeny of indium and covers economic aspects including production and use. Careful geological and mineralogical descriptions are given for representative examples of different deposit types with most significant characteristics being summarized at the end of each chapter.The extraordinary growth of the computer and semiconductor industrires and the increasing consumption of indium in these technologies in recent years have placed major constraints on current and future reserves of this metal. Despite the current technological interest, there is no comprehensive textbook which deals with all aspects of indium mineralization and economics. This book reviews the geological, mineralogical, geochemical and petrological characteristics of indium-bearing ore deposits and develops a general metallogenic concept for indium in identifying the essential enrichment processes and their economic significance.