Sn

Tin is a soft silvery-colored post-transition metal. Tin is mostly used as an alloy with other metals, or as a protective coating for steel containers and for pipes. It is also used in electrical circuits, electronics, glass manufacture and a variety of chemical applications. Tin is scarce in the Earth’s crust. Cassiterite (SnO2) is the principal mineral from which tin is commercially extracted. Cassiterite is typically found in veins closely associated with granite, in granite pegmatites and in greisen. However, most of the world’s tin is produced from placer deposits. Tin is on Canada’s 2021 critical minerals list, meaning that it is essential to Canada’s economic security.