What is Tin used for?

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Tin is a metal used in a wide range of applications, most notably in solder for electronics and joining metals, as a protective coating for other metals in tinplate food and beverage cans, and in various alloys like bronze and pewter. It is also used in chemicals for PVC stabilization, as a component in float glass manufacturing, and in the growing sectors of electric vehicles and solar energy.
 
Major Uses of Tin

• Chemicals:
  Tin chemicals are used as PVC stabilizers to prevent degradation from heat and sunlight, in catalysts, and as fungicides and insecticides. 

• Float Glass:
  The uniform flatness of modern window glass is achieved by floating molten glass on a bath of molten tin, which is a major use for tin. 

• Solder:
  The largest use of tin is in solder, an alloy used to create a permanent, electrically conductive bond between metals, essential for nearly every electronic product and crucial for the growth of EVs and renewable energy. 
• Tinplate:
  This is steel coated with tin, primarily used for food and beverage cans due to tin's corrosion resistance and inertness. 
• Alloys:
  • Pewter: A mixture of tin with other metals like copper, antimony, and lead, historically used for drinking vessels and decorative items. 
  • Bronze: A historical and contemporary alloy of copper and tin, used for tools, weapons, sculptures, and electrical components. 

Other Applications

• Electrical Applications:
  As a pure metal or in tin compounds, it's used in capacitors, resistors, and fuse-wires. 

• Food & Beverage:
  Beyond cans, pure tin can be used to line storage tanks and in traditional tin foil (though modern tin foil is aluminum). 

• Personal Care:
  The tin compound tin fluoride is an additive in toothpastes. 

• Preservation:
  Tin salts are used as wood, textile, and paper preservers, and as a mordant in dyeing.