Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a silvery-coloured metal. Metallic tin also does not easily oxidize in air and water.
Uses
Tin is usually used for corrosion-resistant plating of steel, which has been widely used for food packaging as tin cans due to its low toxicity.It is also a safer alternative to lead soldering and can be used to alloy copper in order to produce bronze, which can then be used to make pewter. Tin alloys (such as bronze) often have lower melting points, improves casting due to its denser fluid, and creates a more solid and less spongy cast.
Cassiterite (SnO2), a common tin ore, is a viable ore to mine with stone tools. Other tin ores are less common sulfides such as stannite that require a more complex smelting process. Cassiterite often can be found in alluvial channels as deposits and small veins because it is harder, heavier, and more chemically resistant than the accompanying igneous rock (such as granite). Cassiterite is usually black or dark in color, and these deposits can be easily seen in river banks (including creeks, marshes, streams, etc...)[citation needed] . Specifically alluvial placer deposits can be collected and separated by methods similar to gold panning.
Production
Mining
Tin can be mined in every continent. It is a relatively easy common metal to mine and pan in low lands with flowing water(riverbeds, streams, creeks, marshes, swamps, etc...). It can be mined with basic tools such as a pickaxe or adze. It can also be panned using a simple bowl or sieve.
Smelting and extraction
Tin can be extracted by heating tin ore with carbon in a process called Carbonthermic reduction. It can be smelted using a simple kiln or blast furnace if the ore purity is poor [citation needed] .
Scraping
Tin is found in many items in Human civilization. These are some of the most common items made with tin. Depending on the item, methods and processes of extraction may differ.
Cans: tinplate (tin-coated steel) is used to make cans for food and beverages.
Solder: a tin-lead alloy used to join metals together.
Tin foil: used for wrapping food, wrapping electrical components, and in cooking. It is also a good insulator and can be used for insulating shelters if needed.
Pewter: a tin-based alloy used to make decorative items, tableware, and other household items.
Any item containing brass: an alloy of copper and tin, used in various applications such as casings for bullets, handrails, valves, and gears.
Zinc-tin solder: used in electronics, plumbing, and other applications.
Tin-plated steel: used in construction, such as in roofing panels, steel frames in buildings, and suspension bridges.
Ceramic coatings: tin-based coatings are used in the production of ceramics, such as in cookware and tableware.
Thermocouples: tin-based alloys are used in the production of thermocouples, which measure temperature.
Copper-tin alloys: used in the production of bearings, bushings, and other mechanical components.
Refinement
Tin can be refined by using basic techniques, although it will require experimentation to perfect in a primitive world. Some of the techniques include:
fire refining: This method involves heating the tin in large vessels with agitation through compressed air, causing minor impurities to oxidize and rise to the surface
liquation: This method is used to treat impure tin and dross from smelting, removing impurities with a higher melting temperature than tin.
heat treatment: This method involves heating the tin from smelters on an inclined hearth to a temperature just above the melting point of pure tin, but below that of the melting point of the impurities.
electrolytic processes: This method is used to remove metallic impurities from tin produced by smelting concentrate or slag. Although this process will require electricity.
Dependencies
See also
References
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