Tin Processing Machinery

Tin finds industrial applications both as a metal and in chemical compounds. As a metal it is used in a very wide variety of industrial applications—but almost always in combination with other elements as an alloy or coating, since its intrinsic softness precludes its use as a structural material. Although tin is usually a minor constituent in alloys, it is an essential one on account of the way in which its special properties confer improvements to the matrix metal.

 

The major commercial applications of tin are tinplate, solder alloys, bearing metals, tin and alloy coatings (both plated and hot-coated), pewter, bronzes, and fusible alloys. In its chemical reactions, tin exists in two valence states (II and IV) and is amphoteric (able to react as both an acid and a base). In addition, it can link directly with carbon to form organometallic compounds. These properties have given rise to many important uses for tin chemicals—for example, in electroplating, agricultural and pharmaceutical products, and plastics and ceramics.