Tin ( Sn )

Material Information

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General Description:

Tin was known and used by ancient civilizations.

Tin is a silvery white metal which is soft and pliable, and which emits the characteristic sound of "tin cry" when bent. It is a relatively common element, its abundance being 2.2 ppm in the earth's crust. Its principal ore is cassiterite, SnO₂, from which the metal is obtained by reduction. Tin forms a stable oxide coating on its surface which makes it unreactive in water; however, it is soluble in both acids and alkalis, and reacts readily with halogens.

As tin has good chemical resistance, it is used as a coating of other metals to prevent corrosion, the coating of steel to produce tin plate being an important example of this application. Tin is widely used in the manufacture of soft solders where it is alloyed with other elements to produce a wide range of alloys with different characteristics. Tin is also a constituent of bronzes, pewter, certain bearing materials and fusible alloys.

Atomic Properties

Atomic number	50
Atomic radius - Goldschmidt ( nm )	0.158
Atomic weight ( amu )	118.69
Crystal structure	Tetragonal
Electronic structure	Kr 4d¹^O 5s² 5p²
Ionization potential	No.	eV
	1	7.34
	2	14.63
	3	30.5
	4	40.7
	5	72.3
Natural isotope distribution	Mass No.	%
	112	1.0
	114	0.7
	115	0.4
	116	14.7
	117	7.7
	118	24.3
	119	8.6
	120	32.4
	122	4.6
	124	5.6
Photo-electric work function ( eV )	4.3
Thermal neutron absorption cross-section ( Barns )	0.63
Valences shown	2, 4

Electrical Properties

Electrical resistivity @20C ( µOhmcm )	12.6
Temperature coefficient @0-100C ( K^-¹ )	0.0046
Superconductivity critical temperature ( K )	3.722
Thermal emf against Pt (cold 0C - hot 100C) ( mV )	+0.42

Mechanical Properties

Material condition	Polycrystalline
Bulk modulus ( GPa )	58.2
Hardness - Mohs	1.5-1.8
Poisson's ratio	0.357
Tensile modulus ( GPa )	49.9

Physical Properties

Boiling point ( C )	2270
Density @20C ( g cm^-³ )	7.28
Melting point ( C )	231.9

Thermal Properties

Coefficient of thermal expansion @0-100C ( x10^-⁶ K^-¹ )	23.5
Latent heat of evaporation ( J g^-¹ )	2497
Latent heat of fusion ( J g^-¹ )	59.6
Specific heat @25C ( J K^-¹ kg^-¹ )	213
Thermal conductivity @0-100C ( W m^-¹ K^-¹ )	66.8

All information and technical data are given as a guide only. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information is correct, no warranty is given as to its completeness or accuracy.

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