I recently had a conversation with Shamaine Engler (Technical Specification Administrator for Indium Corporation) about indium metal in cryogenic seals. She is particularly focused on learning the industrial side of cryogenics, and is currently studying the use and mechanics of cryogenic vacuum pumps.
Jim: Hi Shamaine, I understand you’ve been learning more about how indium metal is used in cryogenic applications. What has been the most interesting part for you?
Shamaine: I find this topic quite interesting because there simply isn’t enough information on it. You have to really dive into the subject hard to find anything substantial.
Jim: Have you uncovered where people are predominantly using cryogenics – which applications?
Shamaine: Cryogenics is mainly involved in engineering, cryobiology, and power transmission (among other things).
Jim: What product specifications do you find most important for these applications?
Shamaine: My recommendation would be to focus on the diameter of wire or thickness of gasket, as these are very important aspects of your seal. In addition to this, the purity should be 99.99% or better. Pure indium wire or solder washers are known to be reliable low-temperature sealing materials.
Jim: What if a customer needs to re-seal their equipment, but they don’t have a specification for the wire they need?
Shamaine: This is where our technical support engineers come in. We educate customers on the different products that exist for this specific purpose, and point them in the right direction by giving them the tools that they need.
Jim: Thank you Shamaine.
Shamaine: Thank you Jim.
Shamaine mentioned we should also interview Kim Flanagan on the topic of cryogenics. Here’s that interview.