Stannum

History
 
Tin is a metal that people began to smelt one of the first. The ancient Egyptians imported  tin from Persia. Phoenicians brought it to the British Isles for 10 centuries BC. At that time, the islands were called Cassiterides insulae. This is gave the name of the principal tin mineral - Cassiterite. Latin name of tin stannum comes from the Sanskrit «sta», which means «hard». The mention of tin occurs even in Homer. Tin was the most readily available and durable metal, so for a long time, it was a strategic metal. An entire epoch in the history of man is called «the bronze age». Even in the 19 century, alloys of tin had been exposed to so-called «tin plague». Metal can become fragile. In the 20 st century that «disease» was learned to treat it by adding various additives.

Nowadays

Tin, one of the rare metals. Most of this goes to the manufacture of metal cans. This method was proposed by a French chef F. Upper in 1809. Tin is used for solders, antifriction alloys, hard alloy grafts electrotechnics. A good restorer and pickle for coloring produced from compounds of chlorine and tin. Gold leaf made of tin and sulfur. Tin oxide used for the manufacture of ruby glass.