SEDL / STP / STP141-EB / STP44050S

The Determination of Small Amounts of Impurities in Tin

Farnsworth, Marie
Research Supervisor and Research Chemist, Metal and Thermit Corp., Rahway, N. N.

Pekola, Joseph
Research Supervisor and Research Chemist, Metal and Thermit Corp., Rahway, N. N.

Pages: 17    Published: Jan 1953

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Abstract

Before taking up in detail the determination of small amounts of impurities in refined tin, it might be interesting to inquire how early tin metal was known and used. Although rare and highly prized, there is no doubt that it was known at a comparatively early age. One of the earlier objects made of tin reported in archaeological literature is a pilgrim bottle from Abydos. This bottle is Eighteenth Dynasty Egyptian (1580 to 1350 B.C.) and is now in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England (Fig. 1). As far as early literary references are concerned, tin is mentioned eight times in Homer (Ninth Century B.C.)—“And he wrought him greaves of pliant tin”—and five times (somewhat later) in the Bible—“And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin.” From 700 B.C. onwards, tin foil was used in the wrappings of mummies, and as early as 150 B.C. tin was used for coinage in England (Fig. 2). While these coins were used in other districts, it is interesting to note that they are not believed to have been used in the southwest of England where tin was actually mined (1).