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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:
-World
Bureau of Metal Statistics - Statistics 2000 - 2003
-Tin
Technology
-Mineral Commodity Summaries
(tin), U.S. Geological Survey
Tin Production
Thousand Tonnes
| |
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008 |
| Europe |
|
|
|
|
|
| Portugal |
220
|
228
|
25
|
41
|
29 |
| Spain |
5
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
| total |
225
|
232
|
25
|
41
|
29 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Asia |
|
|
|
|
|
| China |
118.200
|
121.600
|
126.300
|
147.300
|
121.150 |
| India |
56
|
58
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
| Indonesia |
73.080
|
78.404
|
79.100
|
66.137
|
53.228 |
| Kyrgystan |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
| Laos |
400
|
600
|
600
|
700
|
700 |
| Malaysia |
2.745
|
2.857
|
2.398
|
2.263
|
2.602 |
| Mongolia |
11
|
47
|
0
|
28
|
44 |
| Myanmar |
492
|
737
|
786
|
811
|
729 |
| Russia (Asia) |
5.300
|
5.100
|
5.000
|
2.600
|
1.500 |
| Thailand |
724
|
188
|
225
|
149
|
200 |
| Vietnam |
3.500
|
5.400
|
5.400
|
5.400
|
5.400 |
| total |
204.508
|
214.991
|
219.809
|
225.388
|
185.553 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| America |
|
|
|
|
|
| Argentina |
28.500
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
| Bolivia |
18.115
|
18.640
|
17.669
|
15.972
|
17.300 |
| Brazil |
12.202
|
11.739
|
9.528
|
12.596
|
11.600 |
| Mexico |
24
|
28
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
| Peru |
41.600
|
42.145
|
38.500
|
39.019
|
38.865 |
| total |
100.441
|
72.552
|
65.697
|
67.587
|
67.765 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Africa |
|
|
|
|
|
| Congo |
4.900
|
4.400
|
3.800
|
8.900
|
11.800 |
| Niger |
60
|
120
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
| Nigeria |
1.400
|
1.500
|
1.400
|
2.500
|
1.800 |
| Rwanda |
300
|
3.100
|
3.835
|
4.566
|
4.193 |
| total |
6.660
|
9.120
|
9.035
|
15.966
|
17.793 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Oceania |
|
|
|
|
|
| Australia |
800
|
2.072
|
1.477
|
2.085
|
1.783 |
| total |
800
|
2.072
|
1.477
|
2.085
|
1.783 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| WORLD TOTAL |
312.634
|
298.967
|
296.043
|
311.067
|
272.923 |
|
|
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