Pewter
Pewter: Ingot and Sheet
Applications
Jewelry, Buckles and Figurines
All Pewter Products
Description
Pewter is any of various metal alloys in which tin is the chief constituent; especially an alloy of tin and lead formerly used for domestic utensils. Pewter is a tin-base white metal containing antimony and copper. Originally, pewter was defined as an alloy of tin and lead, but to avoid toxicity and dullness of finish, lead is excluded from modern pewter. These modern compositions contain 1 to 8% antimony and 0.25 to 3% copper. Pewter casting alloys usually are lower in copper than pewters uses for spinning hollowares and thus have greater fluidity at casting temperatures.
The largest single application of tin is in manufacture of tinplate (steel sheet coated with tin), which accounts for about 40% of total world tin consumption. Over 90% of world production of tinplate is used for containers (tin cans).Electroplating accounts for one of the major uses of tin and tin chemicals. Tin is used in anodes, and tin chemicals are used in formulating various electrolytes, for coating a variety of substrates. Solders account for the second largest use of tin (after tinplate). Tin is an important constituent in solders because it wets and adheres to many common base metals at temperatures considerably below their melting points.
The electronics and electrical industries employ solders containing 40 to 70% tin, which provides strong and reliable joints under a variety of environmental conditions. General-purpose solders (50Sn-50Pb and 40Sn-60Pb) are used for light engineering applications, plumbing and sheet metal work. Lower-tin solders (20 to 35% Sn, remainder Pb) are used in joining cable and in production of automobile radiators and heat exchangers.
Pewter is malleable and ductile and is easily spun or formed into intricate designs and shapes.
