Tin was Known to the ancients. Most of the world's supply comes from Malaya, Bolivia, Indonesia, the Republic of the Congo, Thailand, and Nigeria. The U.S. produces almost none, although occurrences have been found in Alaska and California. Tin is obtained by reducing the ore with coal in a reverberatory furnace.
Ordinary tin is composed of nine stable isotopes.
Thirteen unstable isotopes are also known. Ordinary tin is a silvery white metal, is malleable, somewhat ductile, and has a highly crystalline structure. The element has two or perhaps three allotropic forms. White tin has a tetragonal structure. When tin is cooled below 13.20C, it changes slowly from white to gray.