Introduction
Group: 14 or IV A
Atomic Weight: 118.71
Period: 5
CAS Number: 7440-31-5
Classification
No Stable Isotopes
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Solid (Predicted)
Description • Uses/Function
Known to the ancients. Tin is found chiefly in cassiterite (SnO2). Most of the world’s supply comes from Malaysia, Bolivia, China, Indonesia,Russia, Zaire, Thailand, and Nigeria. The U.S. produces almost none, although occurrences have been found in Alaska and Colorado. Tin is obtainedby reducing the ore with coal in a reverberatory furnace. Ordinary tin is composed of ten stable isotopes; thirty five unstable isotopes and isomers arealso known. Ordinary tin is a silver-white metal, is malleable, somewhat ductile, and has a highly crystalline structure. Due to the breaking of thesecrystals, a “tin cry” is heard when a bar is bent. The element has two allotropic forms at normal pressure. On warming, gray, or alpha tin, with a cubicstructure, changes at 13.2°C into white, or beta tin, the ordinary form of the metal. White tin has a tetragonal structure. When tin is cooled below 13.2°C,it changes slowly from white to gray. This change is affected by impurities such as aluminum and zinc, and can be prevented by small additions ofantimony or bismuth. This change from the alpha to beta form is called the tin pest. There are few if any uses for gray tin. Tin takes a high polish and is usedto coat other metals to prevent corrosion or other chemical action. Such tin plate over steel is used in the so-called tin can for preserving food. Alloysof tin are very important. Soft solder, type metal, fusible metal, pewter, bronze, bell metal, Babbitt metal, White metal, die casting alloy, and phosphorbronze are some of the important alloys using tin. Tin resists distilled sea and soft tap water, but is attacked by strong acids, alkalis, and acid salts. Oxygenin solution accelerates the attack. When heated in air, tin forms SnO2, which is feebly acid, forming stannate salts with basic oxides. The most importantsalt is the chloride (SnCl2 · H2O), which is used as a reducing agent and as a mordant in calico printing. Tin salts sprayed onto glass are used to produceelectrically conductive coatings. These have been used for panel lighting and for frost-free windshields. Most window glass is now made by floatingmolten glass on molten tin (float glass) to produce a flat surface (Pilkington process). Of recent interest is a crystalline tin-niobium alloy that issuperconductive at very low temperatures. This promises to be important in the construction of superconductive magnets that generate enormous fieldstrengths but use practically no power. Such magnets, made of tin-niobium wire, weigh but a few pounds and produce magnetic fields that, when startedwith a small battery, are comparable to that of a 100 ton electromagnet operated continuously with a large power supply. The small amount of tin foundin canned foods is quite harmless. The agreed limit of tin content in U.S. foods is 300 mg/kg. The trialkyl and triaryl tin compounds are used as biocidesand must be handled carefully. Over the past 25 years the price of commercial tin has varied from 50¢/lb ($1.10/kg) to its present price of about $4.30/lb ($9.50/kg) as of January 1996. Tin with a purity of 99.9999% is available at a price of about $4/g. 1
• "The major current use for tin is as a protective coating for steel, especially for cans used as food containers" 2
• "Tin is most commonly seen as a coating for iron in what we rather incorrectly call "tin" cans and roofing. When clean iron is plunged into melted tin, the tin sticks to or "wets" the iron, so that the iron, when withdrawn, is found to have a thin coating of tin. This, if thick enough, protects the iron from corrosion; and since tin is not acted on by fruit and vegetable juices, tinned iron (tin plate) makes a satisfactory container for many foods. Electroplating is cheaper than this hot-dip process.
Solder, babbitt metal, and most bronzes contain tin as one of their constituents. Pure tin, under the name black tin, is used for the pipes of soda-water fountains because it is not affected by the solution of carbon dioxide. Because it is not readily acted upon tin is also used in separators and pasteurizers for milk, and in tubes for toilet preparations. Tin foil is made by rolling the metal into thin sheets. Aluminum foil has largely replaced tin foil.
Tin compounds are sometimes used in dyeing, especially for silks; they brighten the colors and make the goods seem richer and heavier." 3
Physical Properties
Form:4 gray
Electron Configuration: [Kr] 5s2 4d10 5p2
n = 5
Electronegativity (Pauling scale):6 1.96
Specific Heat: 0.228 J/g°C 10 = 27.066 J/mol°C = 0.054 cal/g°C = 6.469 cal/mol°C
2 SbCl3 (aq) + 3 Sn (s) → 2 Sb (s) + 3 SnCl2 (aq) 16
Earth - Source Compounds: oxides 18
External Links:
Magazines:
(1) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 4:32.
Melting Point:4* 13.2 °C = 286.35 K = 55.76 °F
Boiling Point:4* 2602 °C = 2875.15 K = 4715.6 °F
Sublimation Point:4
Triple Point:4
Critical Point:4
Form:4 white
Melting Point:4* 231.93 °C = 505.08 K = 449.474 °F
Boiling Point:4* 2602 °C = 2875.15 K = 4715.6 °F
Sublimation Point:4
Triple Point:4
Critical Point:4
Density:5 5.769 (gray)/7.265 (white) g/cm3
* - at 1 atm
Electron Configuration
Block: p
Highest Occupied Energy Level: 5
Valence Electrons: 4
Quantum Numbers:
ℓ = 1
mℓ = 0
ms = +½
Bonding
Electropositivity (Pauling scale): 2.04
Electron Affinity:7 1.112067 eV
Oxidation States: +4,2
Work Function:8 4.35 eV = 6.9687E-19 J
Ionization Potential
eV 9
kJ/mol
1
7.3439
708.6
Ionization Potential
eV 9
kJ/mol
2
14.63225
1411.8
3
30.5026
2943.1
Ionization Potential
eV 9
kJ/mol
4
40.73502
3930.3
5
72.28
6974.0
Thermochemistry
Thermal Conductivity: 66.6 (W/m)/K, 27°C 11
Heat of Fusion: 7.029 kJ/mol 12 = 59.2 J/g
Heat of Vaporization: 295.8 kJ/mol 13 = 2491.8 J/g
State of Matter
Enthalpy of Formation (ΔHf°)14
Entropy (S°)14
Gibbs Free Energy (ΔGf°)14
(kcal/mol)
(kJ/mol)
(cal/K)
(J/K)
(kcal/mol)
(kJ/mol)
(s white)
0
0
12.32
51.54688
0
0
(s gray)
-0.50
-2.092
10.55
44.1412
0.03
0.12552
(g)
72.2
302.0848
40.243
168.376712
63.9
267.3576
Isotopes
Nuclide
Mass 15
Half-Life 15
Nuclear Spin 15
Binding Energy
100Sn
99.93904(76)
1.1(4) s [0.94(+54-27) s]
0+
824.83 MeV
101Sn
100.93606(32)#
3(1) s
5/2+#
841.29 MeV
102Sn
101.93030(14)
4.5(7) s
0+
849.36 MeV
103Sn
102.92810(32)#
7.0(6) s
5/2+#
866.75 MeV
104Sn
103.92314(11)
20.8(5) s
0+
874.82 MeV
105Sn
104.92135(9)
34(1) s
(5/2+)
882.89 MeV
106Sn
105.91688(5)
115(5) s
0+
900.28 MeV
107Sn
106.91564(9)
2.90(5) min
(5/2+)
908.35 MeV
108Sn
107.911925(21)
10.30(8) min
0+
916.42 MeV
109Sn
108.911283(11)
18.0(2) min
5/2(+)
924.49 MeV
110Sn
109.907843(15)
4.11(10) h
0+
941.88 MeV
111Sn
110.907734(7)
35.3(6) min
7/2+
949.95 MeV
112Sn
111.904818(5)
STABLE
0+
958.02 MeV
113Sn
112.905171(4)
115.09(3) d
1/2+
966.09 MeV
114Sn
113.902779(3)
STABLE
0+
974.16 MeV
115Sn
114.903342(3)
STABLE
1/2+
982.23 MeV
116Sn
115.901741(3)
STABLE
0+
990.30 MeV
117Sn
116.902952(3)
STABLE
1/2+
998.37 MeV
118Sn
117.901603(3)
STABLE
0+
1,006.45 MeV
119Sn
118.903308(3)
STABLE
1/2+
1,014.52 MeV
120Sn
119.9021947(27)
STABLE
0+
1,022.59 MeV
121Sn
120.9042355(27)
27.03(4) h
3/2+
1,030.66 MeV
122Sn
121.9034390(29)
STABLE
0+
1,038.73 MeV
123Sn
122.9057208(29)
129.2(4) d
11/2-
1,046.80 MeV
124Sn
123.9052739(15)
STABLE
0+
1,054.87 MeV
125Sn
124.9077841(16)
9.64(3) d
11/2-
1,062.95 MeV
126Sn
125.907653(11)
2.30(14)E+5 a
0+
1,071.02 MeV
127Sn
126.910360(26)
2.10(4) h
(11/2-)
1,069.77 MeV
128Sn
127.910537(29)
59.07(14) min
0+
1,077.84 MeV
129Sn
128.91348(3)
2.23(4) min
(3/2+)#
1,085.92 MeV
130Sn
129.913967(11)
3.72(7) min
0+
1,093.99 MeV
131Sn
130.917000(23)
56.0(5) s
(3/2+)
1,102.06 MeV
132Sn
131.917816(15)
39.7(8) s
0+
1,110.13 MeV
133Sn
132.92383(4)
1.45(3) s
(7/2-)#
1,108.89 MeV
134Sn
133.92829(11)
1.050(11) s
0+
1,116.96 MeV
135Sn
134.93473(43)#
530(20) ms
(7/2-)
1,115.71 MeV
136Sn
135.93934(54)#
0.25(3) s
0+
1,123.78 MeV
137Sn
136.94599(64)#
190(60) ms
5/2-#
1,122.54 MeV
99Sn
98.94933(64)#
5# ms
9/2+#
807.45 MeV
Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from systematic trends. Spins with weak assignment arguments are enclosed in parentheses. 15
Reactions
3 Sn (s) + 16 HNO3 (aq) → 3 Sn(NO3)4 (aq) + 4 NO (g) + 8 H2O (ℓ) 17
Abundance
Earth - Seawater: 0.000004 mg/L 19
Earth -
Crust:
2.3 mg/kg = 0.00023% 19
Earth -
Total:
390 ppb 20
Mercury -
Total:
64 ppb 20
Venus -
Total:
430 ppb 20
Chondrites - Total: 0.56 (relative to 106 atoms of Si) 21
Human Body - Total: 0.00002% 22
Compounds
tin(II) chloride dihydrate; stannous chloride dihydrate
tin(II) chloride; stannous chloride
tin(II) fluoride
tin(II) fluoroborate
tin(II) iodide
tin(II) oxalate
Prices
Safety Information
Material Safety Data Sheet - ACI Alloys, Inc.
For More Information
American Elements
Chemical & Engineering News
Chemical Elements
ChemGlobe
Chemicool
Environmental Chemistry
(1) Ehrenberg, Rachel. The Element Tin Flout's Carbon's Chemistry Rules. Science News, October 24, 2009, pp 13.
Sources
(2) - Zumdahl, Steven S. Chemistry, 4th ed.; Houghton Mifflin: Boston, 1997; p 890.
(3) - Brownlee, Raymond B., Fuller, Robert W., and Whitsit, Jesse E. Elements of Chemistry; Allyn and Bacon: Boston, Massachusetts, 1959; p 557.
(4) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 4:132.
(5) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 84th ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 4:39-4:96.
(6) - Dean, John A. Lange's Handbook of Chemistry, 11th ed.; McGraw-Hill Book Company: New York, NY, 1973; p 4:8-4:149.
(7) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 84th ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 10:147-10:148.
(8) - Speight, James. Lange's Handbook of Chemistry, 16th ed.; McGraw-Hill Professional: Boston, MA, 2004; p 1:132.
(9) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 10:178 - 10:180.
(10) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 4:133.
(11) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; pp 6:193, 12:219-220.
(12) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; pp 6:123-6:137.
(13) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; pp 6:107-6:122.
(14) - Dean, John A. Lange's Handbook of Chemistry, 12th ed.; McGraw-Hill Book Company: New York, NY, 1979; p 9:4-9:94.
(15) - Atomic Mass Data Center. http://amdc.in2p3.fr/web/nubase_en.html (accessed July 14, 2009).
(16) - Halka, Monica and Nordstrom, Brian. Metals & Metalloids; Infobase Publishing: New York, NY, 2011; pg. 97.
(17) - Halka, Monica and Nordstrom, Brian. Metals & Metalloids; Infobase Publishing: New York, NY, 2011; pg. 49.
(18) - Silberberg, Martin S. Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change, 4th ed.; McGraw-Hill Higher Education: Boston, MA, 2006, p 965.
(19) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 14:17.
(20) - Morgan, John W. and Anders, Edward, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77, 6973-6977 (1980)
(21) - Brownlow, Arthur. Geochemistry; Prentice-Hall, Inc.: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1979, pp 15-16.
(22) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 7:17.