Tinplate and Tin Coating Technology

The application of tin as a coating dates back early into man’s metal-working history to when, for example, it was used as a decorative finish to bronze. The most likely reason for this initial application is tin’s low melting point coupled with its ability to wet and adhere to other metal surfaces. It was not until the industrial era that engineering uses for tin and tin-alloy coatings were arrived upon. While industry widely acknowledges the existence and application of tin coatings, not as many are aware of the field’s scope, which encompasses the complex technology of tinplate manufacture/use as well as an extraordinary variety of coatings that contain metals (apart from tin) and tin compounds. This paper reviews such current tin and tin-alloy applications as coatings, including tinplate, and describes related industrial developments and research.