Nomenclature
CAS number: 7440-31-5
Description and references
Sn; at. wt 118.710; at. no. 50; valence 2,
4. Group IVA (14). Naturally occurring isotopes: 112 (0.95%); 114
(0.65%); 115 (0.34%); 116 (14.24%); 117 (7.57%); 118 (24.01%); 119
(8.59%); 120 (32.97%); 122 (4.71%); 124 (5.98%); artificial, radioactive
isotopes: 108-111; 113; 121; 123; 125-132. Found in cassiterite,
stannite, and tealite. Occurrence in earth's crust: 6 × 104%. The metal of commerce is about 99.8% pure. Prepn of high purity
tin: Baralis, Marone, Met. Ital. 59, 494 (1967), C.A. 67, 119613a (1967). Physical properties: Kirshenbaum,
Cahill, J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem. 25, 232 (1963). Monograph: C. L. Mantell, Tin: Its Mining, Production, Technology and Applications (Reinhold, New York, 1949). Reviews: Abel in Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry vol.
2, J. C. Bailar, Jr. et al., Eds. (Pergamon Press,
Oxford, 1973) pp 43-104; W. Germain et al., in Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology vol. 23 (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 3rd ed., 1983)
pp 18-42. Review of toxicology and human exposure: Toxicological Profile for Tin (PB2006-100006,
2005) 426 pp.
Properties
Silver-white, lustrous, soft, very malleable and
ductile metal; only slightly tenacious; easily powdered. When being
bent, emits the crackling “tin cry”. Brittle at 200°. At 40° crumbles
to gray amorphous powder (“gray tin”), slowly changing back above
20° to white tin. Available in the form of bars, foil, powder, shot,
etc. Stable in air, but when in powder form it oxidizes, esp in presence
of moisture. d 7.31. mp 231.9°. bp 2507° (2780 K). Specific
heat (25°) 0.053 cal/g/°C. Brinell hardness 2.9. Insol in water.
Reacts slowly with cold dil HCl or dil HNO3, hot dil H2SO4; readily with concd HCl, aqua regia; very slowly
attacked by acetic acid; slowly attacked by cold, more readily by
hot caustic alkali; concd HNO3 converts it into insol metastannic
acid.Caution
Potential symptoms of overexposure
to metallic tin are irritation of eyes, skin, respiratory system.
Potential symptoms of overexposure to organic tin compounds are irritation
of eyes, skin, respiratory system; headache, vertigo; psychoneurologic
disturbances; sore throat, cough; abdominal pain, vomiting; urine
retention; paresis, focal anesthesia; skin burns; pruritis. See NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical
Hazards (DHHS/NIOSH 97-140, 1997) p 308. See also Patty's Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology vol. 2A, G. D. Clayton, F. E. Clayton, Eds. (Wiley-Interscience,
New York, 3rd ed., 1981) pp 1940-1968.Use
Chiefly for tin-plating and manuf of food, beverage
and aerosol containers, soldering alloys, babbitt and type metals,
manuf tin salts, collapsible tubes, coating for copper wire. Principle
component in pewter. Alloys as dental materials (silver-tin-mercury),
nuclear reactor components (tin-zirconium), aircraft components (tin-titanium),
bronze (copper-tin), brass. Reducing agent.