Uses of Tin Based Alloys

Posted in The World Of Metal on 11th January 2012

William Rowland are a leading supplier of Tin.

Tin is rarely used as a metal on its own, but more commonly in association with other metals to form alloys such as pewter and white metal bearing alloys.

Scandinavian pewter is a mixture of tin, antimony, copper and bismuth, however English pewter are 91% tin, 7.5% antimony and 1.5% copper. The tin and copper combination is commonly used in tableware, and the tin and antimony combination in the production of flatware.

Tin has been in use since the Bronze Age at around 3000BC, when it was added as an ore with copper, which produced bronze. Bronze was a metal that was cast into shapes easily and into tools with sharp edges, and this was the first alloy to be used on a large scale. More recently, one of the largest usages of tin was in the production of tin plate, solders and to provide a float bath in the glass making process.

Due to its low toxicity, tin plated metals are readily used for food packaging giving the name tin cans. However these cans are made up mostly of steel, but the tin plating ensures its corrosion resistance.

Tin is traded on the London Metal Exchange (LME) where various producers have registered their brands and they must meet an agreed specification. In the case of tin, this means that the tin content of the ingots must be Sn.99.85% minimum and that they should also conform to BSEN 610:1996.

William Rowland Ltd are tin suppliers and we can supply metals in various forms across the globe, if you would like to find out how we can meet your requirements, please contact us using the Quick Enquiry Form on the right-hand side of this website.

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