Tin

Slater, D.. 1974 Tin. London, UK, HMSO, 48pp. (HMSO)

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Abstract/Summary

Tin, a metal principally used in the manufacture of tinplate, solder and non-ferrous alloys, is the only major, non-ferrous metal now mined in substantial quantities in the United Kingdom. Known resources of tin ore are confined entirely to a belt about 30 km wide and 150 km long between Land's End and Dartmoor in south-west England. In mid-1973 three underground mines were in operation, the old-established workings of South Crofty and Geevor, and Wheal Jane which was commissioned only in October, 1971. A fourth mine, Wheal Pendarves, started production in early 1972 but ceased in early 1973 when the operating company went into liquidation; however, it was announced in June 1973, that Pendarves ore would be milled at South Crofty after purchase of the mine by St. Piran Mines Limited. In 1972 total domestic mine production was greatly augmented by output from Wheal Jane and amounted to 3,327 tonnes of tin-in-concentrate as compared with only 1,816 tonnes in 1971. Some concentrate is also produced by companies engaged in the treatment of old mine tailings and sands. In addition, nearly 5,000 tonnes of refined tin was recovered from waste and scrap in 1972, and an unknown, but probably larger, quantity is in circulation at any given time in secondary alloys which are re-used as such. Primary and secondary refined tin from domestic sources amounted to more than 45 per cent of tin consumption in 1972, compared with less than 25 per cent in previous years. The United Kingdom imports tin, mainly in mineral concentrates, not only to meet demand, but also as feedstock for its smelting industry which exports substantial quantities of refined tin. The cost to the balance of payments of trade in unwrought and other forms of tin amounted to over £10.7 million in 1972 as compared with £17 million in 1971. The International Tin Council, consisting of representatives of major producing and consuming countries, exerts a measure of influence on free market price movements through the operation of a buffer stock fund. Research sponsored by producing countries through the International Tin Research Council is aimed at maintaining and increasing the number and variety of outlets for tin, and is balanced by the efforts of consumers to reduce the quantity of tin used in each manufactured article. This applies in particular to tinplate, the tin coating on which has been gradually reduced in average thickness over many years without loss of performance. The leading Free World producers of mined tin are Malaysia, Bolivia, Thailand and Indonesia, in that order, while the main consumers are the USA, Japan, the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany. 1 The economic benefits which would arise from an expanded domestic tin-mining industry include a saving of foreign exchange, lowered dependence on imports a source of concentrate for the smelting industry and improved employment opportunities in south-west England. Although little land is likely to be affected by mining, some prospects lie within areas generally considered to be of high landscape value.

Item Type:	Publication - Report
Programmes:	BGS Programmes > Economic Minerals
Funders/Sponsors:	Institute of Geological Sciences
Additional Keywords:	Mineral, Tin
NORA Subject Terms:	Earth Sciences
Date made live:	25 Jul 2025 17:00 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/539898

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