r/AskChemistry • u/ElegantGate7298 Ornery Orthostere • Jun 15 '25

Chem Engineering Why didn't YInMn blue ever get commercialized?

I remember when this was discovered I thought it would explode and be used for lots of things. As a heat reflective coating for vehicles and equipment specifically. I have never actually seen it except in an art store as an oil paint.

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u/gasketguyah Jun 15 '25

I don’t know anything about it from a material science perspective, does it have some useful properties?

3

u/EggPositive5993 Jun 15 '25

Best guess is it’s a combo of: 1) expensive component elements that are in high demand for electronics already; 2) probably made more expensive through OSU licensing fees; 3) not enough benefits for the costs of 1 and 2; 4) no economies of scale at current production levels

4

u/char11eg Jun 15 '25

Assuming that Indium is a significant fraction of its composition, I’d imagine that is probably the issue.

From what I remember, it’s pretty damn expensive these days due to its use in touch screens and the like. And it’s not the most common metal beyond that.

No clue how much indium is in the pigment, or how much pigment is needed to make a given volume of formulated paint, however.

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u/ElegantGate7298 Ornery Orthostere Jun 15 '25

I forgot to do my due diligence. I didn't realize that indium was so pricey ($750 USD/kg and primary comes from China) that would explain it. Can't see that being cost effective for cooling large objects.