Tin

An adaptable metal widely used in consumer electronics, and as a coating or alloy in many products and machine components.

Tin (Sn)

Tin was one of the first metals used by humans and continues to play a vital role as an alloy in a vast range of applications. It is used to coat other metals to prevent corrosion, for solder in printed circuit boards and in a range of roles in lithium-ion batteries.i China is the largest producer and consumer of tin and has the largest identified reserves, with Indonesia following closely behind in both production and identified reserves.

Tin production is associated with a large range of ESG issues. It is in scope of Section 1502 of the US Dodd Frank Act and the EU Conflict Mineral Regulation, due originally to its association with conflict and human rights abuses in the Great Lakes region of Africa.

The ESG issues most strongly associated with tin production relate to artisanal and small–scale mining (ASM), which accounts for a relatively high share of production of the mineral. These issues include violence and conflict, pollution, child labour, and occupational health and safety risks.

Main uses and applications

Tin is non–toxic, ductile, malleable, and suited to all kinds of cold-working, such as rolling, spinning and extrusion.ii The low melting point of tin and its firm adhesion to clean surfaces of iron, steel, copper and copper alloys facilitate its use as an oxidation-resistant coating material.iii As pure tin is relatively weak, it is not put to structural uses unless alloyed with other metals.iv The use of tin in alloys means that small quantities of tin are used for many applications that are essential to modern life.

The largest single use of tin is in solder, which is vital for consumer electronics, especially for printed circuit boards. As of 2022, solder accounted for about 50% of the total of 376,900 tonnes of global refined tin. Tin is also widely used as plating (12%) such as for steel cans food containers, in batteries (7%), chemicals (16%), and in tin-copper alloys (7%).v Other everyday uses include as tin piping and valves to maintain purity in water and beverages, or in the form of molten tin as the base for (float) plate-glass production.vi

Tin is used in multiple ways in car manufacturing and has been described by the International Tin Association (ITA) as the ‘forgotten electric vehicle metal’.vii A number of companies are researching the use of tin as a performance enhancing component in EV battery anodes.viii Research suggests that using a tin and silicon alloy as an anode material to replace graphite could improve charging times.ix Tin is also an important input for solar panels and digitalisation through new technologies, reinforcing its significance for the green transition.x As such it is considered a strategic material in several jurisdictions, such as Australiaxi and the United States.xii