TIN

Production and reserves Tin has not been mined in the United States since 1993, and the last operating tin smelter stopped production in 1989. The United States is reliant on imports and recycling for its tin needs. Domestic apparent consumption of tin content was an estimated 43 kt in 2022, a 10 percent decrease from that in 2021. The value of consumed tin in 2022 was estimated to be $1.6 billion, a 3 percent decrease from that in 2021. Industry stocks remained essentially unchanged from those at year-end 2021. Global tin mine production in 2022 was estimated to be 310 kt of tin content, a slight increase from that in 2021. China, the global leader, produced an estimated 95 kt (31 percent of world production). Other leading sources include Indonesia with 74 kt (24 percent); Burma with 31 kt (10 percent); Peru with 29 kt (9 percent); and Bolivia and Brazil with 18 kt (6 percent) each. World tin reserves were estimated to be 4.6 Mt, about 15 times the estimated 2022 world primary tin production. Most tin reserves were in Asia and South America. Consumption During 2022, tin in the United States was used in chemicals (23 percent), tinplate (22 percent), alloys (11 percent), solder (10 percent), babbitt, brass and bronze, and tinning (7 percent), bar tin (2 percent) and other applications (25 percent). Tinplate is a layer of tin adhered to steel or wrought iron substrate for corrosion protection and is commonly used in food-grade cans to inhibit rust. Tin-based chemicals are commonly used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production and curing, biocides and catalysts. Tin is used in solder for electrical connections on circuit boards and in industrial applications such as the manufacturing of sheet metal and copper products. Bronze and brass are alloys of tin and copper and are used for decorations and instruments. Historically, bronze and brass are some of the oldest alloys ever created by humans. Babbitt is a low-friction alloy that is often used in engines owing to its ability to resist cycling forces. Foreign trade According to the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. imports for consumption of refined tin totaled 33 kt in 2022, a 13 percent decrease from those in 2021. The leading sources of U.S. imports were Bolivia (32 percent), Peru (28 percent) and Indonesia (16 percent). Refined-tin exports in 2022 were 1.3 kt, essentially unchanged from that in 2021. Prices The annual average New York dealer price for Grade A tin in 2022 was $15.46/lb and the annual average London Metal Exchange Ltd. (LME) cash price was $14.23/lb, a slight decrease and a 4 percent decrease, respectively, from that in 2021. The LME remained the principal commodity exchange for trading tin in 2022, but other exchanges include the Indonesia Commodities and Derivatives Exchange, the Kuala Lumpur Tin Market, the Shanghai Futures Exchange and the Shanghai Metals Market. Table 1 Global production by refined tin producers in descending order. Industry news and issues Global production by refined-tin producers remained unchanged in 2022 from that of 2021. The world’s leading refined-tin producers and their production in 2022 (in metric tons) are listed, in descending order, in Table 1. The top 10 companies in 2022 produced 56 percent of refined tin worldwide compared with 59 percent in 2021. Yunnan Tin Group Co. Ltd. was the top producer in 2022, producing 6 percent less tin than in 2021. Yunnan Chengfeng Nonferrous Metals Co. Ltd. had the largest production increase of 21 percent, to 20.6 kt in 2022 from 17 kt in 2021, while PT Timah (Persero) Tbk had the largest production decrease of 25 percent, to 19.8 kt in 2022 from 26.5 kt in 2021. Chinese and South American smelters maintained overall production through 2022. In May, a copper products manufacturer based in Germany purchased a U.S. metals recycling company capable of processing scrap, including tin, at the rate of 100 kt/a. Also in May, a company announced plans to build a $340 million electronic-waste and nonferrousmetals recycling plant in Fort Wayne, IN. The facility will have the capacity to recycle up to 45 kt/a of feedstock, and construction was expected to begin in 2023 and conclude by 2025. In June, construction began on a secondary smelter for complex recyclable materials in Richmond County, GA. The facility will have the capacity to process up to 90 kt/a of recyclables and will recover multiple metals, including tin. The facility was expected to begin operations in the first half of 2024, costing approximately $320 million to construct. Throughout the year, smelters were temporarily closed in China owing to COVID-19 pandemicrelated mitigation measures and annual maintenance. Intermittent truck driver strikes in Spain caused disruptions and halted shipments of tin and tungsten concentrates. In 2022, mining began from a new pit at the Penouta Mine in northwestern Spain, a deposit containing a measured and indicated resource of 76.3 Mt at 443 parts per million tin. In March, the indicated and inferred resources at the Mpama South deposit in Congo (Kinshasa) were updated to 105 kt of contained tin. Additionally, the company mining the deposit announced an expansion to begin in late 2023 that would increase its tin production to about 20 kt/a. Trends and outlook Globally, consumption increased in 2022 for alloys, chemicals, solder and tinplate, while demand for lead-acid batteries remained steady. According to industry analysts, refined tin demand is expected to increase for use in brass and bronze, chemicals, float glass, electronic solder, and maintenance-free leadacid batteries. Demand from the solar industry may continue to be a primary growth segment for solder, as it is used in the solar ribbon connecting individual solar cells and solder connections used throughout the electrical system and grid infrastructure. Demand from the automotive industry may increase as tin anodes in lithium-ion batteries develop into proven technology. Domestic tin requirements are expected to continue to be met primarily through imports. References are available from the author.

TIN

Authored by:
Chad A. Friedline

To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

Mining Engineering’s Weekly Rundown: Episode 73

Get your SME Foundation VIP Access Conference Pass to MINEXCHANGE 2027

“Check the box” and help support the SME Foundation

Mining Engineering’s Weekly Rundown: Episode 73

Get your SME Foundation VIP Access Conference Pass to MINEXCHANGE 2027

“Check the box” and help support the SME Foundation

To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

TALC

TITANIUM

Related Articles

Get your SME Foundation VIP Access Conference Pass to MINEXCHANGE 2027

“Check the box” and help support the SME Foundation

The Art and Science of the Flowsheet

UCA Division officer nominations

Mining Engineering’s Weekly Rundown: Episode 73

Get your SME Foundation VIP Access Conference Pass to MINEXCHANGE 2027

“Check the box” and help support the SME Foundation

Mining Engineering’s Weekly Rundown: Episode 73

Get your SME Foundation VIP Access Conference Pass to MINEXCHANGE 2027

“Check the box” and help support the SME Foundation

Use Single Sign On