Tin is one of the earliest metals utilised by humans and forms an important component of bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) – the discovery of which ushered in the start of the Bronze Age and the end of the Stone Age around 5,500 years ago. Bronze is harder and more durable than other metals available at that time, and tin has a low melting point, making it easy to produce alloys using the pottery kilns available then.

Tin subsequently fell out of favour due to the discovery of iron smelting and the start of the Iron Age. The next major development for tin was the discovery that coating steel with a thin layer of tin could prevent corrosion and allow food to be kept in “tin cans” for extended periods of time. This began in 1795 when the French government, led by Napoleon, offered a prize of 12,000 francs to anyone who could invent a method of preserving food for its long naval campaigns. Nicolas Appert received the prize for preserving food by sterilization. Peter Durand, a British merchant, received the first patent for the idea of preserving food using tin cans on August 25, 1810. The method is still used today, and the recent pandemic saw a significant increase in the use of tin cans due to people stockpiling food.

Although there is evidence that soldering was used over 5,000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia (now modern day Iraq) , the use of solder rapidly gained pace in the mid-20th century due to the increase in consumer electronics. Solder is currently the major use of tin worldwide, accounting for about 49% of total consumption, and has grown recently due to the elimination of lead in solder, meaning more tin is necessary to fill the gap.

It is interesting to note that tin in its metallic form is non-toxic and actually appears to have anti-microbial properties – hence its use in tin cans and other forms of food packaging. As tin may be used to replace lead in certain applications, its use as a replacement has increased since the recognition of the toxicity of lead.