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Tin
Tin (Sn) is a silvery white malleable and ductile metal that
is not easily oxidized in air
and resists corrosion. Very soft metallic element, tin can be
rolled, pressed or hammered
into extremely thin sheets (tin foil).
The most important ore mineral of tin, cassiterite (tin dioxide,
SnO2) forms in high-
temperature veins, usually related to igneous rocks such as
granites and rhyolites.
Tin is often found in association with other non-ferrous metals,
such as lead and, to
a lesser extent, copper.
30% of tin consumption is used to coat soft iron (tinplate)
as used in the manufacture
of food and beverage cans.
Alloys such as bronze and pewter are also a major use of tin.
Tin is useful in electrical
applications, mainly low-melting-point solders, that account
for 30% of tin consumption.
Associated with calcium, tin is used to strengthen the lead
electrodes in lead-acid batteries.
Tin is also used in construction, transportation (mainly in
bearings requiring soft metal
alloys) and other various industrial applications. For example,
a thin layer of the oxide is
applied to bottle glass to increase its resistance to shock.
In glass-making, window glass
is made by pouring molten glass onto molten tin. This process
results in flat sheets of glass.
An alloy of tin and niobium has proven to be a "superconducting”
compound at very low
temperatures.
Links: Tin
Technology
Mineral
Commodity Summaries (tin), U.S. Geological Survey
World Mine Production
Thousand tonnes
| |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
| Europe |
|
|
|
|
| Portugal |
1,2 |
1,2 |
0,3 |
0,2 |
| Russia |
6,6 |
5,5 |
7,2 |
7,2 |
| total |
7,8 |
6,7 |
7,5 |
7,4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Africa |
|
|
|
|
| Nigeria |
2 |
1,3 |
0,9 |
0,9 |
| Rwanda |
0,4 |
0,4 |
0,2 |
0,2 |
| total |
2,4 |
1,6 |
1,1 |
1,1 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Asia |
|
|
|
|
| China |
97,1 |
93,0 |
61,8 |
55,6 |
| Indonesia |
51,6 |
56,3 |
78,6 |
66,5 |
| Kazakhstan |
0,5 |
0,5 |
0,5 |
0,5 |
| Laos |
0,4 |
0,8 |
1,1 |
1,1 |
| Malaysia |
6,3 |
5,0 |
4,2 |
3,7 |
| Mongolia |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
| Myanmar |
1,6 |
1,9 |
1,2 |
1,3 |
| Thailand |
2,2 |
2,5 |
1,1 |
0,9 |
| Vietnam |
4,5 |
4,5 |
4,5 |
4,5 |
| total |
164,2 |
164,5 |
153,0 |
134,1 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| America |
|
|
|
|
| Bolivia |
12,5 |
12 |
13,2 |
16,6 |
| Brazil |
13,8 |
13,8 |
13,8 |
13,8 |
| Peru |
37,4 |
38,2 |
38,8 |
40,2 |
| total |
83,7 |
64,0 |
65,8 |
70,3 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Oceania |
|
|
|
|
| Australia/total |
9,4 |
9,6 |
7,0 |
5,4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| World
total |
247,3 |
246,5 |
234,5 |
218,3 |
Note:
This table shows the recoverable tin content of ores and concentrates
produced.
Source: World Bureau of Metal Statistics
- World Metal Statistics, February 2004, p. 120
World Refined Production
Thousand
tonnes
| |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
| Europe |
|
|
|
|
| Belgium |
8,5 |
8,5 |
8,9 |
7,7 |
| Greese |
0,2 |
0,2 |
0,3 |
0,3 |
| Russia |
5,5 |
5,6 |
8,0 |
7,6 |
| total |
14,2 |
14,3 |
17,3 |
15,7 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Africa |
|
|
|
|
| Nigeria/total |
0,1 |
0,6 |
0,6 |
0,6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Asia |
|
|
|
|
| China |
112,4 |
105,0 |
75,1 |
100,0 |
| Indonesia |
46,4 |
44,6 |
58,8 |
64,6 |
| Malaysia |
26,2 |
30,4 |
30,9 |
11,4 |
| Thailand |
17,2 |
21,4 |
17,5 |
15,2 |
| Other Asia |
6,4 |
6,2 |
6,7 |
8,1 |
| total |
208,6 |
207,6 |
189,0 |
199,3 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| America |
|
|
|
|
| Bolivia |
8,1 |
8,6 |
9,4 |
9,4 |
| Brazil |
13,8 |
12,1 |
11,5 |
11,5 |
| Peru |
17,4 |
25,1 |
33,0 |
39,2 |
| Other America |
0,7 |
0,6 |
0,0 |
0,1 |
| total |
|
46,4 |
53,9 |
60,2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Oceania |
|
|
|
|
| Australia/total |
0,8 |
1,2 |
0,8 |
0,6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| World
total |
263,6 |
270,2 |
261,6 |
276,4 |
Note:
This table shows total production of refined tin, whether refined
from primary or
secondary materials.
Source:
World Bureau of Metal Statistics - World Metal Statistics, February
2004, p. 121
World Refined Consumption
Thousand tonnes
| |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
| Europe |
|
|
|
|
| Austria |
0,6 |
0,6 |
0,7 |
0,6 |
| Belgium |
3,2 |
3,2 |
3,2 |
3,2 |
| Bulgaria |
0,5 |
0,5 |
0,5 |
0,5 |
| Czech Republic |
1,5 |
1,5 |
0,5 |
0,5 |
| Denmark |
0,0 |
0,0 |
0,0 |
0,0 |
| Finland |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
| France |
7,4 |
8,3 |
8,7 |
9,3 |
| Germany |
20,9 |
21,9 |
19,5 |
21,0 |
| Greece |
0,5 |
0,8 |
0,7 |
1,0 |
| Hungary |
0,5 |
0,2 |
0,1 |
0,3 |
| Ireland |
0,2 |
0,2 |
0,2 |
0,1 |
| Italy |
5,8 |
6,0 |
6,1 |
5,9 |
| Netherlands |
3,6 |
2,7 |
3,0 |
2,4 |
| Norway |
0,5 |
0,6 |
0,5 |
0,4 |
| Poland |
1,2 |
1,0 |
1,3 |
1,1 |
| Portugal |
1,6 |
1,2 |
1,2 |
3,6 |
| Romania |
0,2 |
0,3 |
0,2 |
0,2 |
| Russia |
6,6 |
6,0 |
7,6 |
8,0 |
| Slovakia |
1,5 |
0,6 |
0,8 |
0,9 |
| Spain |
4,1 |
6,1 |
6,7 |
8,3 |
| Sweden |
0,5 |
0,4 |
0,4 |
0,2 |
| Switzerland |
|
1,0 |
0,9 |
0,7 |
| United Kingdom |
10,0 |
10,3 |
9,9 |
9,9 |
| Yugoslavia |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,2 |
0,0 |
| Other Europe |
1,0 |
1,0 |
1,0 |
1,0 |
| total |
72,8 |
74,6 |
74,0 |
79,3 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Africa |
|
|
|
|
| South Africa |
2,0 |
2,0 |
4,0 |
3,5 |
| Other Africa |
0,8 |
1,1 |
1,1 |
1,2 |
| total |
2,8 |
3,1 |
5,1 |
4,7 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Asia |
|
|
|
|
| China |
54,6 |
62,0 |
46,5 |
73,7 |
| India |
6,4 |
7,3 |
6,9 |
6,7 |
| Japan |
25,2 |
21,5 |
26,8 |
28,4 |
| South Korea |
15,2 |
13,3 |
17,7 |
17,1 |
| Taiwan |
11,1 |
9,3 |
10,0 |
10,6 |
| Turkey |
1,7 |
1,0 |
1,5 |
1,6 |
| Other Asia |
19,8 |
20,6 |
15,6 |
23,6 |
| total |
131,0 |
135,0 |
131,6 |
161,7 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| America |
|
|
|
|
| USA |
50,7 |
49,7 |
15,7 |
44,8 |
| Brazil |
7,2 |
6,0 |
6,0 |
8,4 |
| Other America |
9,2 |
9,1 |
9,2 |
9,3 |
| total |
67,1 |
64,8 |
60,9 |
62,5 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Oceania |
|
|
|
|
| Australia |
2,2 |
3,0 |
1,7 |
1,4 |
| Other Oceania |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,2 |
0,1 |
| total |
2,3 |
3,1 |
1,9 |
1,5 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| World
total |
275,9 |
280,6 |
273,5 |
309,7 |
Note:
This table shows consumption of unwrought refined tin, whether
refined from primary
or secondary materials. The direct use of tin in the form of
scrap is excluded.
Source:
World Bureau of Metal Statistics - World Metal Statistics, February
2004, p. 122
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