General Characteristics

Tin is an element of the fourth group of the main subgroup of the fifth period of the D. Mendeleev table. Its atomic number is 50. It belongs to the series of light metals and forms two allotropic modifications: β-tin with a crystalline tetragonal lattice - so-called gray tin at t° below -13.2°C and stable at higher temperatures white α-tin, with a cubic lattice like diamond.

Chemical properties

Tin is a shiny silvery-white, malleable and soft metal. At normal temperatures, it shows good resistance to chemical attack. It does not react with water, so it finds the widest application as protective coatings for metals against corrosion. Tin dissolves most readily in strong hydrochloric acid than in other acids to form _SnCl2 (tin chloride). With prolonged exposure to cold, this metal becomes brittle, turning into a gray powder with semiconducting properties, β-tin.

History

Tin has been known to mankind since time immemorial. Babylon, China and Mesopotamia traded in pewter jewelry, but it was an expensive and inaccessible metal. Items made of it among Greek and Roman antiquities are quite rare. As well as copper, tin is one of the components of bronze, invented in the III millennium BC.

Production

It is a rare dispersed element of the earth's crust that occurs naturally in the form of a rock ore called cassiterite, it contains as _SnO2, up to 70% Sn. Tin pyrite is much less common in nature. Cassiterite (ore-bearing rock) is crushed in industrial mills to small particles in the production process. Then, due to its increased mass and density, the cassiterite is separated from the waste rock by gravity-vibratory method on enrichment tables. Applying in addition the flotation method of ore enrichment, the content of tin in the concentrate is up to 50-70%. To remove arsenic and sulfur impurities, the ore concentrate is roasted in oxygen. Afterwards, the concentrate is smelted in electric furnaces or reflection furnaces.

Applications

Tin is mainly used in alloys with other metals or purely as a safe, non-toxic, corrosion-resistant coating. In industry, tin is mainly used as tin in the production of food containers, in electronics as a solder, in bearing alloys, in house wiring and in tin plating. The most important tin alloy is bronze. Another well-known alloy is pewter, which is used in the production of cookware. The food industry consumes up to 33% of the tin smelted

Buy, price

Evek GmbH has a wide range of non-ferrous metal products in stock. We supply certified products made of tin and its alloys, tin solders, fluxes , etc. We value our clients time, so we are always ready to help with the best choice. Experienced consulting managers are at your service. Product quality is guaranteed by strict compliance with production standards. The terms of fulfilling orders are minimal. Wholesale customers receive preferential discounts.