How Do You Test Tin ?

[hunterldh]

I have 3 ingots of light weight silver colored metal that are marked TIN with a black marker. They feel like ingots of aluminum to me. Do any of you guys know a relatively simple home test that I can make to see if this metal is actually tin ? I asked a friend who is a retired chemist and he didn't know a way. Best regards, Hunter

[Forester]

Try to melt it.

Tin Melts at 450 degrees and Aluminum at 1218 degrees. You can probably find rough hardess numbers online somewhere as well that would be even easier to test.

[Hayfield]

My less than scientific way. Cut three pieces of alloy/metal the same size/volumn. 1. lead, 2. known tin and 3. mystery metal. Lay them on a steel plate in a triangle and put the heat to the underside. Watch them melt. As Forester said, tin will melt at 450, lead at 620 and aluminum - well you ain't gonna get it to melt this way. Then, if all looks promising so far, I'll mix up some 20:1 known alloy and cast some bullets. Then some 20:1 mystery alloy and cast some bullets. Weigh them. At 20:1 should there be difference it will be apparent. Also if you melt some 'tin', and lay a bead on cold steel if you put it between your teeth and bend it it will 'cry'.

[13Echo]

If the bar is slim enough try bending it right next to your ear. If you hear a crackling sound it's tin or at least mostly tin. Aluminum will be silent. If you have soldering iron you might see if it will melt part of the bar. A proper soldering iron will not get hot enough to melt aluminum but should easily melt tin.

Jerry Liles