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Tin is a silvery, thin and light element in the Earth's crust that can be easily molded and melded. It is flexible at room temperature, which makes it very different from heavier metals like steel. And due to its flexibility and water resistance, tin is often used as a protective coating for other metals. Also, because of its low toxicity, it is often used to store canned goods, such as sardines and beans.
It is unknown who discovered tin and when, but it's believed to have happened by accident during the Stone Age. Archeological evidence shows that the metal was in use well more than 5,500 years ago. During the latter days of the Stone Age, ancients figured out how to combine tin with copper to produce bronze. This discovery led to a revolution in manufacturing, as widespread usage of bronze--which is a harder substance, but easier to melt than copper--led to the end of the Stone Age and dawn of the Bronze Age.
In the modern world, tin is used mainly to coat other metals, a process that's known as tin plating, or tinning. Tinning is mainly used to prevent rust as tin is much more resistant to corrosion than other metals. Tin cans that are used as containers for common household canned goods, such as beans and peas, are the best known current-day example of tinning. Despite the name, "tin" cans are actually made of tin-coated aluminum or steel. There are no "tin" cans produced that are made purely out of tin alone, as of 2010.
China has the world's biggest reserve of tin, with more than 1.7 million tons, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Next is Malaysia with 1 million tons, followed by Peru with more than 700,000 tons. Other countries with tin substantial reserves include Brazil, Bolivia, Russia and Thailand. Tin deposits were also found in Colombia in 2009. It is estimated that there are about 6 million tons of economically recoverable primary tin reserves on Earth, and that at current consumption rates, the Earth will run out of tin that can be mined by the year 2040.
Although tin produces no known ill effects in humans, tin-plated food cans can sometimes corrode, and that corrosion can lead to illness. Can corrosion is usually caused by acidic foods. Studies by the British Food Standards Agency have shown that eating food containing 200 mg/kg of tin can cause nausea and vomiting in people, but studies have shown that 99 percent of all tin cans contain less than 200 mg.
Tin melts at 449 degrees F (231 degrees C) and boils at 4,716 F (2,602 degrees C). In the periodic table of the elements, tin is identified by the symbol Sn and the number 50. It is in group 14, period 5 and block p of the table.
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