Widely known and used, tin comprises about 0.001 percent of the earth's crust. It is sometimes found alone, but generally is found as the oxide in the mineral cassiterite.
Tin mines exist in England, Spain, Indonesia, Thailand, Zaire, Nigeria and China.
Significant amounts of tin is also obtained through recycling. Tin is nontoxic, ductile, malleable, adheres to various metals and has a relatively low melting point. Historical Background Tin is a metal long known and used throughout the world. Tin has broad uses in industry, including food preservation and canning, Stannic Oxide Tin forms two series of compounds, termed stannous and stannic. One of the most important compounds commercially is stannic oxide, which is useful as a catalyst in industrial processing, in ceramics and as a polishing powder for steel.