Tin melting point

Tin is one of the first metals known to mankind since ancient times. Since the discovery of this metal, the development of human society has been connected.

Tin along with silver, copper, gold, mercury, lead and iron has become famous already in prehistoric times. Archaeological excavations and other historical finds indicate that people have learned to receive tin a few thousand years ago. From it already in those days made jewelry and dishes, but the metal was quite expensive. Mention of it is found even in the first copies of the Old Testament.

In our time, tin is known in its pure form as a silvery white metal. Most often it occurs in the form of an oxide compound (tin stone). The melting point of tin among metals is considered to be the lowest, thanks to this, the material is easily smelted from tin ore. Tin - plastic soft metal, is well processed (forging, rolling, machining, etc.), has a rather large specific gravity and density. It has a low thermal and electrical conductivity, is weakly exposed to atmospheric effects.

At low temperatures, the metal not only changes color, but is also subject to the phenomenon of "tin plague." This is the destruction of tin products. Thus, in 1812, under the influence of Russian frosts, tin buttons disappeared from the French soldiers. Given that the melting temperature of tin is low enough, the furnaces for smelting it are usually simple in their construction.

Tin is a fairly rare metal. Fused it earlier from the ore, which was directly in the upper layers of the earth's crust. In today's conditions, there are practically no such fossils, so the technology for obtaining tin is rather complicated and time-consuming.

All tin placers and ores pass the process of enrichment, then the concentrate is sent to the kilns and only then to the smelting department. When heated, the metal begins to melt. The melting point of tin is within 232 degrees. In the course of melting, using fluxes, slags and various additives, get the right grade and quality material.

The range of application of tin is quite wide, this element is widely used in various industries. In its importance and usefulness, it has become a strategic metal, because it allows the formation of alloys with different materials, and it is extremely easy to process. And, of course, an important role is played by the low melting point of tin.

Tin is a non-toxic, corrosion-resistant material. The method of manufacturing tinplate (the coating of sheet metal with a layer of tin) invented in the last century made it possible to produce a safe container for the preservation of food products. The use of tinned iron made a revolution in the food industry.

The ability to wet other metals and the low melting point of lead and tin made it possible to manufacture low-melting alloys (solders). The use of such alloys allows you to connect different structural units and parts, to have a sealed joint.

The ability of tin to fulfill the role of a protective layer is used in the nuclear industry. In addition, in the modern glass industry it is used for glass polishing. To this end, the liquid mass of the glass is poured out of the furnace into a container with a tin melt. The solidification temperature of tin during slow cooling begins after its transition below the melting point. The resulting mixture in the form of a tape comes first to the calciner, and then to the cutting site.

The alloy of tin and copper - bronze is in great demand at all times. In the antiquity before the advent of iron, it was from it that various products were manufactured, up to weapons. When people learned about the strength and wear resistance of bronze, it was used to make bearings that work under difficult conditions with heavy loads.

Today it is difficult to find the sphere of human activity, wherever tin is used in pure form or in alloys.