Recycling indium is possible! Here’s how:
Generally in the world of solder, once a solder preform or section of wire is reflowed, it has already been consumed, and there is no need to consider what to do with the leftover material. A reclaim or recycle process is irrelevant.
But there are, of course, exceptions. For example, indium that is used for sealing applications where pressure is used to make the seal can be recycled. Consider equipment that operates in cryogenic environments or other harsh conditions. Often, key parts of the equipment are sealed so that they continue to operate in these environments (like space or MRI machines) with an indium seal. When maintenance or repair has to be done, the seal is easily removed and often discarded, and a fresh seal is put on.
But if the indium is collected, it can be returned to Indium Corporation where we can recycle it for new products. Whether you have indium wire or indium preforms, we can recycle it.
If you have questions, you can use our live chat feature on our indium wire page, and we are glad to help you out.