2. What is Tin (Sn element)?
• Tin or also called as Stannum in Latin with the
atomic number 50 belongs to group 14 of the
periodic table.
• Tin shows a chemical similarity to both of its
neighbours in group 14, germanium and lead,
and has two main oxidation states, +2 and the
slightly more stable +4.
4. History of Tin
• Tin is one of the oldest metals known by man. There are domestic
utensils and arms made of brass (copper with about 15% of tin),
dating from 3500 B.C..
• The Phoenicians had a very important role in the spread of brass
utensils due to its commercial trades with Britain, Spain and
the Middle East.
• Tinned iron was only developed in the 14th century in Bohemia, and
tinned steel appeared only in the 17th century.
• Originally confined to Britain and Spain, the tin extraction spread
throughout to other countries of the Southern Asia and
to Congo, Nigeria and Bolivia.
5. Chemical Properties of Tin
• Tin has a melting point of
231.9681°C, boiling point of
2270°C
• When tin is cooled below 13.2°C, it
slowly changes form from the white
form to the gray
• Tin is a silvery-white metal
• tin has a cubic structure.
• Tin is resistant to attack by sea
and soft tap water, but it will
corrode in strong acids.
6. Allotropes of Tin (Sn element)
• The three allotropes of tin are Grey tin (cubic), white tin
(tetragonal) and white tin (rhombic).
• When white tin converts to grey tin, an increase in volume takes
place.
• White tin is an ordinary form, silver-white in colour and harder than
lead. White tin is highly malleable and ductile.
• It can even be moulded to thin foils.
• The crackling sound generated during bending of tin rods is called
“Tin Cry”.
• At -50oC the conversion of white tin to grey tin is very fast.
• The grey tin has lower density brittle and can easily be powdered.
• In very cold climates, the crumbling of grey tin to powder form is
called Tin disease or Tin plague.
7. SOURCE
• Tin is found mainly in the ore cassiterite, which is
found in Malaysia, Bolivia, Indonesia, Thailand and
Nigeria. It is obtained commercially by reducing the ore
with coal in a reverberatory furnace.
• Tin is found as vein tin or stream tin. The tin ore is
stannic oxide and is generally found with quartz,
feldspar or mica. The ore is a hard , heavy and inert
substance and is generally found as outcroppings as
softer impurities are washed away
8. TIN MINING COUNTRIES
• Malaysia
– Peninsular Malaysia and Kinta valley
– Larut Plain around Taiping, the Kelang valley around Kuala Lumpur, the Jelebu
valley of Negri Sembilan, Jemaluang and Kota Tinggi in Southern Johore and
Sungei Lembling in Pehang
• Thailand
– South of the country in the Kra peninsula and on off shore Island like Phuket
– Major mining centres are Ronong, Phangnga and Takuapa
• China
– Yunnan at Gejiu
– In south eastern part Tauchin and Hexian (Hohsein), Nanling Shan in Central
China
• Indonesia
– Islands of northern coast of Sumatra including Bangka, Billiton and Singkep
9. Uses of Tin (Sn element)
• It is used in tin plating, coating and polishing
as it has a high resistance to corrosion
• It is used in the soldering of steel as it
possesses high magnetic strengths and lower
melting points
• It is also used in the manufacture of other
alloys such as bronze and copper
• It is used as a reducing as well as a dyeing
agent for glass, ceramics, and sensors
• In dental applications, it is employed in some
products in the form of stannous chloride
(SnCl2)
• It also has its applications in the electrodes
of batteries such as in the Li-ion batteries.
• It is widely used in the manufacture of food
containers made of steel.
10. Health Effects of Tin
• Sn element in organic form is
most dangerous to health. It can
cause severe effects in humans
such as eye and skin irritations,
headaches, sickness, dizziness,
breathlessness, severe sweating
along with urination problems.
• The main drawback is that the
metal is not completely
biodegradable. Hence it can have
an impact on the environment.
