tinn

Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a soft, malleable post-transition metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin has a relatively low melting point of 231.93°C and is resistant to corrosion, particularly from water. It exists in two allotropes: beta-tin (white tin) at room temperature and alpha-tin (gray tin) at low temperatures. At temperatures below about 13°C, beta-tin can slowly transform into brittle alpha-tin, a phenomenon known as tin pest.

The primary ore of tin is cassiterite (tin oxide, SnO2). Tin is typically produced by reducing cassiterite with carbon in a smelting process and then refining to yield metallic tin. Major producers include China, Indonesia, Peru, Bolivia, Russia, and several other countries. Tin is also recovered from recycled scrap.

Tin has a long history of industrial use. It is widely employed as a corrosion-resistant coating for steel to make tinplate, which is used for food cans and packaging. It is a key component in many solder alloys, historically as tin-lead solders and increasingly in lead-free formulations such as tin-silver-c copper alloys. Tin is also alloyed with copper to form bronze, with tin content commonly around 10–20%. Additional applications include pewter, specialized ceramics glazes, certain chemical catalysts, and electronic components.

In safety and environment, tin and most of its compounds are relatively low in toxicity, though certain tin compounds can be hazardous with prolonged exposure. Tin is recyclable and widely recovered from old products and electronic waste. The name tin derives from the Latin stannum, and its chemical symbol Sn reflects this heritage.