Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-05-31
Tin and it's Various Uses.

Every child III the land knows what tin
ware is, but the number of persons who have
even seen piece of pure tin, or are acquaint
ed with its nature and various uses is not large
Tin or stannum" is one of the ancient me-
tails, and was known to the old Egyptians and
Hebrews. 1t is found in the state of an oXyd
in various countries-Spain, Hungary, South
America, and the Indian Archipelago, but
most abundantly in Cornwall, England, from
which place it was obtained by the Pheni-
clans, when Tyre was mistress of the seas, and
before Britain bore the impress of the Romans
heel. AS metal it has white brilliant ap-
pearance, is very malleable, emts cracking
sound when bent, peculiar odor when rubbed,
and when ooled slowly from a molten state
it crystazes. The tin stone of Cornwall is
found in veins associated with copper ore, in
granite and slate rocks, hence it is called
I" mine tin" The oxyd of tin is also dissent
mated through the rocks in small crystals =
and in alluvial deposits it is called "stream
tin" When tin ore is mixed with copper
after being roasted-it is treated with sulphu-
ric acid, which dissolves the copper but not the
tin. After it is washed, the ore-then called
:" black tin"-is ready for smelling. The COM
mon method Of smelling the ore is in rever-
beratory furnace with coal, the ore being mix
ed with powdered anthracite or charcoal
When very pure metal is required the smelt-
ing or reducing is conducted in a small blast
furnace. powdered charcoal being used to mix
with the ore, also very small quantity of
lime as fux. After the 6rst smelling of the
ore, 1t generally requires two other smelling
operations to purify it for use The refined
and purest in it is that which is used in the
manufacture of tin plate, the tin being used
for this purpose in a molten state, and thin
plates OF iron dipped into it, just like dipping
thin boards of wood into liquid varnish The
metal plates for timing are made of the best
charcoal iron. All the oxyd or rust is first
removed from them, when they are secured
bright, and kept in soft water ready to be dip
ped in the molten tin. The tin is melted in
an iron pot over fire. and its surface is cover
ed with about four inches of molten tallow--
The prepared plates are dipped into this, and
left to steep for an hour or more, when they
are lifted out with tongs and placed on rack
The plates generally have surplus quantity
Of tin adhering to them when taken out of the
first pot; this is removed by dipping them into
pot of molten talow and brushed. Great
care and experience are required in all the
manipulationS in order to cover the plates
a coating of tin. The covering of such an
oxydizable metal as iron with tin like warm
ish is one of the most useful qualities this
metal possesses, and renders it better adapted
for making various vessels, such as our COM
mon tinware, than any other meteI. Nails,
bride bits, and many small articles Of iron NAV
be covered with tin, by first securing them to
remove the oxyd, then tripping them into the
rnoltap lin, Fho oJ ;,oo Il L. &Io+ -
rolled out into sheets of tn-foil as thin as wri-
ting paper. 1t is now much used for covering
tobacco, for coarse gliding, for what is called
" silvering looking-glasses," and for bronze
powders. Peroxyd Of tin is used by jewellers
as polishing material and fused with glass
it forms white opaque enamel. 1t is much
used mixed with copper, to form various use
full alloys of metal, such as gun metal, the
specala for telescopes, the bearings for shaft
ing the bronze Of statues, and was used by
the ancientS for swords, spear and armor !; and
it is said these were tempered by process
now lost to the arts.
Block tin is struck by the dies into various
vessels for drinking, such as cups, tea and cof-
fee pcts and mixed with little copper to give
it hardness it forms the beautiful !" britannia
ware" In the chemical arts tin is dissolved
in acids, such as nitric and muriatic, and seems
a common mordant for some of the most bril-
liant colors printed on calicoes, and those dyed
on wool and silk. The uses of tin are more
various than those of any other metal, and it
possesses very valuable properties. England is
the greatest tin-producing country on the globe.
She possesses the most abundant natural sources
of this metal, and has long been the tinplate
manufacturer of the world. The produce of the
metal in Cornwall, is about 10, 1I9 tuns per an
num- but it is used for so many purposes that
it is the source of vast amount of wealth to
Great Britain. We cover our houses with tin
plate, and we manufacture vast quantities of it
into vessels of every description for domestic
use. We have iron mountains, and innumera-
bic beds of copper and lead we have the
greatest coal-ields on this globe, and gold and
silver exist abundantly in our hills and valleys
No country is SO rich in minerals, but as yet no
rich deposits of tin have been discoverd. We
have some faith in the existence of this metal
in our rocks and that it will yet be obtained
in considerable quantities We pay four million
seven hundred thousand dollars annually for
tin plate and sheets ; twenty three thousand
dollars for tin foil seven hundred and twenty
four thousand dollars for tin in pigs and bars,
and forty-four thousand dollars for unspecilied
manufactures
BRoADBRrM's JoKE.-A Quaker in Philade-
phia, wanting to buy some oysters, requested