Historical Background

Archeologists have found evidence that tin has been used for over 5500 years. Tin’s symbol (Sn) comes from the Latin word stannum. It was mentioned in the first testament and is believed to be named after the Etruscan god Tinia. Tin forms an alloy with copper to make bronze, which was very important when making weapons during the Bronze Age. Ancient people were able to make spears, knives, sickles, and scythes from bronze which was a big advance in making weapons.
Archeologists believe that tin mining started in Cornwall and Devon. It is also believed that pure tin wasn’t used until about 600 B.C. Tin is formed from cassiterite which was mined in ancient Britain. It was a very important trade item with Britain and Greeks and Phoenicians around the area of the Mediterranean. Many people in the ancient times realized that tin in pure form was too soft to make anything except decorative items. Tin coins have been made, but they get worn and bent very quickly.

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Environmental Inpact

When tin is in its organic form, it becomes very toxic. Organic tin is not very biodegradable so it stays in the environment for long periods of time. Microrganisms have trouble breaking down organic tin compounds that have built up on water soils. This makes it so that the concentration of organic tins rises more and more.
Organic tins can spread through the water systems very easily and cause disruption. They are known to cause a lot of harm to aquatic ecosystems, since they are very toxic to fungi, algae and phytoplankton. Phytoplankton is very important in the aquatic ecosystem, because it gives other water organisms the oxygen they need. It is also an important part of the aquatic food chain.
Certain types of organic tin are more toxic than others. Tributyltins are very toxic to fish and fungi, while Trifenyltin is very toxic to phytoplankton. Organic tins can disturb growth, reproduction, enzymatic systems and feeding patterns of organisms that live in the water. This mainly takes place on the top layer of the water, because that is where organic tin compounds build up.

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Industrial Uses

Since tin resists corrosion, it is used to coat other metals that rust easily. An example of this is tin cans, which are mainly made from steel. The steel is coated on the inside and outside with a thin layer of tin for protection. Today, tin cans have mostly been replaced with aluminum or plastic containers.
Tin is also used to make window glass by going through the Pilkington process. In this process, hot molten glass is poured over a pool of molten tin. The glass floats to the surface of the tin, and cools in flat sheets. Tin salts are sprayed onto glass to make electrically conductive coatings. The coated glass is used as frost-free windshields and panel lighting. Also, Stannous fluoride (SnF2) is used in some types of toothpaste.
Lastly, tin combines with many other metals to form useful alloys. Tin and copper form bronze, tin and lead make pewter and soldier, tin and niobium are alloyed to make super conductive wire. Other examples of tin alloys are type metal, fusible metal, bell metal and Babbitt metal.

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Hazards

One of the hazards of tin is that when it is in powder form, it is very flammable and can cause dust explosions. Most compounds of tin are poisonous, and are very dangerous if they get into the air. If a tin compound is inhaled it can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and cramps. Organic tin bonds such as Triethyltin are the most hazardous because they have short hydrogen bonds. When the hydrogen bonds grow larger, the tin becomes less harmful.

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