Professor Lin Ma from the University of North Carolina.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina, University of California San Diego, Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University, together with US sodium-ion battery company Peak Energy, compared the behaviour of tin, hard carbon and mixtures of the two under elevated temperatures.

Tin is less reactive than hard carbon

The researchers used accelerating rate calorimetry, a technique that measures when a material begins generating its own heat as temperature increases.

This allows researchers to compare the thermal behaviour of charged electrode materials and their interactions with the surrounding electrolyte.

In the experiments, fully sodiated tin showed greater thermal stability than hard carbon. Mixtures of tin and hard carbon showed intermediate behaviour, with thermal stability increasing as the proportion of tin increased.

One factor identified by the researchers is the difference in surface area between the materials. Hard carbon has a substantially larger surface area than the tin powder used in the study, providing more interface between the electrode material and electrolyte. Surface area may therefore contribute to the difference in thermal reactivity observed between the two materials.

Tin is also being investigated as a way of increasing sodium-ion battery energy density. Fully sodiated tin can theoretically store considerably more sodium per unit volume than hard carbon, with research continuing into electrode designs and electrolyte systems that support repeated sodium storage.

Electrolyte makes a major difference

The study also showed that tin’s thermal behaviour depends strongly on the liquid electrolyte surrounding it.

Researchers compared propylene carbonate, commonly known as PC, with TEGDME, a member of the glyme family of ether-based solvents.

Tin began generating heat earlier and reacted more strongly in PC. In TEGDME, the material remained stable to higher temperatures and showed lower overall reactivity.

This builds on previous research demonstrating the compatibility of glyme-based electrolytes with tin anodes. The latest study shows that, alongside their electrochemical performance, glyme chemistry can also influence the thermal behaviour of sodiated tin.

The researchers investigated why the two solvents produced different behaviour. As sodiated tin was heated, sodium began leaving the tin-sodium alloy. In the PC system, this process occurred more readily and was accompanied by greater reaction with the electrolyte and the formation of tin oxide.

TEGDME suppressed these reactions and largely preserved the tin in its metallic form. Computer modelling supported the experimental results, showing that PC lowers the energy required for sodium to leave the tin-sodium alloy, which increases the likelihood of subsequent reactions and heat generation.

The study compared selected carbonate- and ether-based systems. Electrolyte salt, tin particle size, electrode design and operating temperature are among the additional parameters that can influence thermal behaviour and provide areas for further investigation.

Towards practical tin-based cells

Michael Chak PhD student at the University of North Carolina.

The results show that tin can combine high sodium-storage capacity with favourable thermal behaviour at electrode-material level.

Electrolyte development will be an important part of translating these results into complete cells. Glyme-based electrolytes show strong compatibility with tin at the anode, while electrolyte formulations must also provide the required stability at the positive electrode. Research into systems that perform effectively across both electrodes is therefore continuing.

Overall cell behaviour is also influenced by cathode chemistry, cell size and design. The current research provides a comparison of tin and hard carbon at electrode-material level, complementing broader studies of complete sodium-ion cells.

The findings identify another characteristic of tin relevant to sodium-ion batteries. Alongside its high volumetric sodium-storage capacity, tin showed lower thermal reactivity than hard carbon under the conditions tested, while electrolyte selection provided an additional means of influencing its thermal stability.

For more information visit Tin Valley.

The post Tin shows thermal stability advantage in sodium-ion batteries appeared first on International Tin Association.

A Women in Mining internship

Iona graduated this summer from UCL with a degree in Earth Sciences, including final-year study in areas related to technology and artificial intelligence. She joined ITA through the Women in Mining UK (WIM UK) internship scheme after the opportunity was recommended through UCL.

Founded in 2006, WIM UK works to support and promote women across the mining sector, collaborating with universities and industry to increase awareness of career opportunities and strengthen pathways into the sector. Its internship programme provides students and recent graduates with short-term placements across mining and related industries, offering practical experience alongside opportunities to build professional networks.

Early in her placement, Iona joined members of ITA’s Technology team on a visit to the Institute of Non-Ferrous Metallurgy at TU Bergakademie Freiberg in Germany. Researchers there are investigating several approaches relevant to lower-carbon primary and secondary tin production, including hydrogen reduction, hydrometallurgical processing, electrowinning and alternative reductants.

Seeing these technologies at laboratory and pilot scale provided valuable context for the wider technology-scoping exercise Iona is now undertaking.

Link to Freiberg story

Mapping pathways to lower-carbon tin production

Iona’s project is examining technologies across the tin production chain that could potentially reduce emissions, lower energy requirements, improve resource efficiency or enable additional tin to be recovered from existing resources.

The scope includes hydrogen-based as well as other alternative reductants, lower-energy comminution and beneficiation technologies, new hydrometallurgical and electrochemical extraction routes, and approaches to recovering tin from fines, tailings and other secondary materials.

Rather than focusing on one potential solution, the project is building a broader picture of how different technologies might contribute to future tin production.

Drawing on academic literature, patents, industry developments and historical research, Iona is assessing technologies against factors such as their potential environmental benefits, technological maturity, scalability and applicability to tin. This also involves looking beyond the tin industry to identify technologies being developed in other minerals and metals sectors that could potentially be transferred or adapted to tin production.

The resulting technology landscape will help distinguish between approaches that are already approaching industrial relevance and those that remain at an earlier research stage, while highlighting areas where further investigation could be valuable.

Why explore new approaches to tin production?

Tin plays an important enabling role in technologies associated with electrification and the energy transition, particularly through its use in solder, as well as in solar technologies, energy storage and other advanced applications.

Producing primary tin, however, can be both energy- and carbon-intensive. Its environmental footprint varies depending on factors including ore grade, mineralogy, processing route, recovery efficiency and energy source.

There is not going to be a single technology capable of decarbonising tin production across every operation.

Instead, future reductions in emissions could come from changes across several stages of the production chain: using lower-carbon energy and reductants, improving liberation and recovery during mineral processing, developing alternative extraction technologies, and recovering more tin from material that might otherwise become waste.

Understanding where these opportunities exist — and how close different technologies are to practical application — is an important first step.

Iona’s work will feed into ITA’s wider technology activities, including Tin Valley and the longer-term development of the TIN2030 strategy. By establishing a clearer picture of the emerging technology landscape, the project can help identify areas where targeted research, industry collaboration or further technical investigation could have the greatest potential to support more efficient and lower-carbon tin production.

The post Meet ITA’s technology intern scoping the future of low-carbon tin appeared first on International Tin Association.

MFA technology.

As tin producers seek to maximise recovery from existing resources while reducing waste, increasing attention is being given to technologies capable of recovering value from fine cassiterite particles that are often difficult to recover or efficiently utilise during mineral processing.

One emerging approach is Mine Fines Agglomeration (MFA), which is being supported for commercialisation by Green Tree Group. The technology is designed to convert suitable fine mineral particles and recovered concentrates into durable, water-resistant agglomerates that are easier to handle, transport and evaluate for downstream processing. Green Tree Group is currently seeking industry partners to support the technology’s advancement through the UK Government’s Critical Minerals Accelerator programme, with the aim of progressing the technology through independent optimisation and validation (currently estimated at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4–5).

The challenge of fine cassiterite recovery

Tin ore must first be crushed and ground to liberate cassiterite before it can be recovered using mineral processing techniques, most commonly gravity separation. While these processes are highly effective for coarse particles, they also generate increasing quantities of very fine cassiterite.

As particle size decreases, gravity separation becomes progressively less efficient, meaning valuable cassiterite can report to slimes, tailings and other waste streams instead of being recovered into concentrate. Although these fine fractions may still contain economically significant quantities of tin, recovering them remains technically challenging.

An alternative approach

Production of mine fine agglomerates.

Mine Fines Agglomeration (MFA) aims to address this challenge by binding suitable fine mineral particles into durable, water-resistant agglomerates using a low-energy, low-temperature process. According to the company, the resulting agglomerates retain the mineral composition of the original feed while significantly improving its physical handling characteristics.

Unlike conventional agglomeration methods that often require high-temperature treatment, the process operates under relatively mild conditions and has been developed to accommodate a wide range of particle sizes, including fine materials, dusts and slimes that are typically difficult to utilise. The company is targeting industrial throughputs in excess of 1,000 tonnes per day per modular processing unit, although the technology is currently progressing towards pilot-scale demonstration.

Rather than replacing existing mineral beneficiation processes, MFA is intended to complement them by providing an additional processing stage for suitable fine mineral streams once recoverable material has been identified.

For the tin industry, the primary opportunity lies in converting fine cassiterite that might otherwise remain underutilised into a material better suited for handling, storage, transportation and subsequent downstream processing or metallurgical evaluation.

Potential benefits for tin producers

If successfully demonstrated at commercial scale, agglomeration could offer several advantages for tin operations.

Recovering additional cassiterite from historical tailings, slimes and fine processing streams could increase overall metal recovery without requiring additional mining. This aligns with growing industry efforts to improve resource efficiency while reducing waste generation.

Producing a more consistent agglomerated feedstock may also simplify the handling, storage and transportation of fine mineral materials. Where recovered fine concentrates are destined for smelting, agglomeration could provide a more uniform feed material while helping to reduce dust generation during handling.

Rather than viewing fine mineral fractions solely as a waste-management challenge, MFA seeks to transform suitable recovered fine mineral streams into stable, transportable products capable of supporting improved logistics, greater resource efficiency and more effective downstream utilisation.

While further technical validation will be required as the technology progresses towards higher technology readiness levels, the concept illustrates the growing focus on recovering value from materials that have historically been considered difficult to utilise.

Supporting more resource-efficient tin production

Portable MFA equipment.

As ore grades decline and producers increasingly look to extract greater value from every tonne of material processed, technologies that improve utilisation of fine mineral fractions are attracting growing interest.

Agglomeration represents one of several approaches being explored to improve utilisation of tin-bearing fines, alongside advances in fine-particle gravity separation, flotation, sensor-based sorting and alternative beneficiation technologies. Together, these innovations have the potential to reduce losses throughout the mineral processing flowsheet, supporting more resource-efficient and sustainable tin production.

Green Tree Group is currently seeking collaboration with mining companies, mineral processors, universities and critical minerals organisations to help validate the technology across a range of critical mineral applications and support its progression towards commercial deployment.

To learn more please contact georgia.laurie@internationaltin.org or support@mfa-mining.com.

The post Could agglomeration unlock the value of tin mine fines? appeared first on International Tin Association.

The world’s second-largest refined tin producer has reported steady Q2 production as it continues to focus on improving recoveries and productivity.

Peruvian tin producer Minsur reported Q2 refined production of 7,000 tonnes, down just 0.5% from the same quarter in 2025 and down 15.4% from Q1 2026 due to maintenance…

Read the full article for free by registering on Tin Desk.

The post Minsur invests in the future as Q2 output holds steady appeared first on International Tin Association.

Developed through ITA’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Working Group, which brings together ITA and member companies to advance life cycle assessment, climate change and broader low-carbon initiatives, the roadmap sets out a framework of key priorities and actions to guide industry progress in the medium term.

The roadmap focuses on strengthening the industry’s understanding of greenhouse gas emissions through improved data and reporting, promoting greater alignment across the value chain, identifying opportunities to support low-carbon technologies and practices, and encouraging continued collaboration, innovation and knowledge sharing. It is intended to evolve over time as data quality improves, stakeholder expectations develop, and new opportunities for industry-wide action emerge.

To learn more visit:  Tin Industry Low-Carbon Transition Roadmap – International Tin Association

The post Tin Industry Low-Carbon Transition Roadmap appeared first on International Tin Association.

Indonesia’s state-owned tin producer PT Timah (IDX: TINS) has reported Q2 refined tin production of 5,235 tonnes, down 7.0% from the previous quarter due to delays in the relicensing process.

However, the quarter’s production represents a 38.7% increase from Q2 2025. Mining output increased 30.5% year-on-year to 5,920 tonnes of contained tin, with offshore operations continuing to dominate…

Read the full article for free by registering on Tin Desk

The post PT Timah weathers Q2 regulatory turbulence appeared first on International Tin Association.

Australian tin miner Metals X (ASX: MLX) has announced Q2 Renison production fell from the previous quarter on lower grades, equipment availability issues, and lower recovery rates…

Read the full article by registering for Tin Desk for free here.

The post Renison production slips in Q2 appeared first on International Tin Association.

The visit formed part of the ITA Technology team’s ongoing programme to identify and assess innovative technologies with the potential to support a more sustainable future for the tin industry. 

The ITA delegation, comprising Dr. Jeremy Pearce, Georgia Laurie and ITA intern Iona Boulton, met with Professor Alexandros Charitos and his research team, including Vangelis Palavos-Chesper, Stephen Kwegyir, Sara Shakeri and Ludwig Blenau.  

The Institute of Non-Ferrous Metallurgy is internationally recognised for its expertise in sustainable extractive metallurgy, with research spanning pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and electrometallurgy.  

Through a series of technical presentations and laboratory tours, the team gained insight into a range of low-carbon technologies spanning hydrogen-based tin production, alkaline processing, electrowinning and the recycling of tin-bearing residues.  

Researching the next generation of primary and secondary tin production 

A key focus of the visit was the institute’s research into hydrogen-based tin production through the reduction of cassiterite, the principal ore of tin.  

By replacing conventional carbon-based reductants with hydrogen, the process has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with primary tin production. 

Laboratory-scale experiments have successfully produced metallic tin with a purity of 99.6%, with approximately 50.4% of the tin converted directly during the reduction stage. Importantly, the remaining tin is retained within a leachable slag, allowing it to be recovered through subsequent processing and providing a pathway towards high overall tin recovery while reducing reliance on fossil carbon. 

The research team also presented an alkaline fusion and leaching process capable of recovering approximately 95% of the tin using sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This hydrometallurgical approach provides an efficient route for extracting tin into solution and complements the institute’s wider work on low-carbon extraction technologies. 

Building on this process, researchers demonstrated an alkaline electrowinning route that deposits metallic tin directly from sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolytes. Together, the alkaline fusion and electrowinning technologies illustrate an integrated approach to recovering and refining tin using alternative processing routes with the potential to improve both recovery efficiency and environmental performance. 

The final presentation focused on the valorisation of chlorine- and sulphur-rich tin-bearing residues using biomass-derived reductants. By replacing conventional fossil carbon with renewable biocarbon, the process aims to recover valuable tin from challenging secondary materials while reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with secondary tin production. The research reflects growing interest in circular processing routes that maximise resource utilisation while supporting industrial decarbonisation. 

Together these projects demonstrate how future tin production may increasingly combine hydrogen metallurgy, hydrometallurgical extraction, electrochemical refining and sustainable reductants to lower emissions while improving resource efficiency across both primary and secondary production. 

From laboratory research to pilot-scale facilities 

Following the presentations, the ITA delegation toured TU Bergakademie Freiberg’s research laboratories and pilot-scale facilities, providing an opportunity to see many of these technologies translated into practical processing equipment. 

The tour included electrolysis systems used to investigate alkaline electrowinning, top submerged lance (TSL) and other high-temperature furnaces supporting pyrometallurgical research, as well as laboratories dedicated to hydrometallurgical processing.  

Together, these facilities enable researchers to investigate innovative processing technologies across multiple stages of the tin value chain, from primary extraction through to the recovery of tin from secondary resources. 

The visit also provided valuable opportunities for technical discussion between researchers and the ITA Technology Team, enabling an exchange of knowledge on emerging processing technologies, current industrial challenges and future research opportunities. 

Looking ahead 

Collaboration between research institutions and industry will play an important role in accelerating the development of lower-carbon technologies for critical raw materials. Visits such as this provide valuable insight into emerging research while strengthening connections between academia and the global tin industry. 

The ITA Technology Team will continue to follow developments in low-carbon technologies for both primary and secondary tin production, strengthening relationships with leading research organisations such as TU Bergakademie Freiberg and the wider global research community.  

By working closely with researchers developing the next generation of metallurgical technologies, the ITA aims to better understand emerging innovations and their potential to improve the sustainability, efficiency and circularity of the global tin value chain. 

The post ITA explores low-carbon tin technologies at TU Bergakademie Freiberg appeared first on International Tin Association.

Tin miner Alphamin Resources (TSXV: AFM; JSE: APH) has reported record Q2 2026 earnings from its Bisie mine in eastern DRC, driven by elevated tin prices.

The company announced EBITDA of US$167 million, up 6.0% from the previous quarter, supported by a 5.4% increase in the average realised tin price and stable sales volumes…

Read the full article by registering for Tin Desk for free here.

The post Alphamin reports record Q2 earnings on elevated tin prices appeared first on International Tin Association.

Summary

• EU Forced Labour Regulation has introduced a forced labour ban, enforced from 14 December 2027.
• Applies to all ‘products’ placed onto, and exported from, EU and EEA countries, including minerals and products containing tin, potentially impacting upstream and downstream companies within and outside the EU.
• Companies may face direct market consequences in the form of suspension, general ban and fines.
• Use of existing, independently assessed Tin Code Reports provides information on the management of key forced labour risks at participating tin companies’ sites and upstream supply chains that can support forced labour due diligence and reporting.
• Joining the Responsible Tin Network supports tin users and buyer’s understanding of forced labour risks specifically in the tin supply chain and provides opportunities to engage directly with suppliers on practical solutions.
• ITA continues to align industry tools and guidance to EU expectations.

Full article

The EU Forced Labour Regulation (EUFLR) has been introduced by the European Union to ban ‘products’ made with forced labour from being placed on, or exported from, the EU market, including the European Economic Area (EEA) and Northern Ireland (UK) under the Windsor Framework, from 14 December 2027.

It applies if any part of the product was made with forced labour, at any stage of the supply chain, from extraction and processing to final product manufacturing. It applies to all ‘economic operators’ (companies) regardless of sector and size. The law builds on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention definitions of ‘forced labour’ and includes  forced child labour, which is recognised as one of the worst forms of child labour under ILO Convention No. 182.

How it works

The EU FLR focuses on the outcome; if a product is found to have been manufactured using forced labour it will be suspended, banned or destroyed. The ban applies generally, not just to the individual company that placed the product onto the market, but it may also impact the ability of other companies to place it onto the market.

The EU FLR does not dictate new due diligence requirements but instead supports the use of existing due diligence frameworks and voluntary standards (such as the Tin Code) to identify and manage forced labour risks.

The EU Commission and National Competent Authorities have the mandate to investigate potential cases of forced labour, even before the product enters the EU market. Investigations can focus on the full product or a component. Where there are suspicions of widespread use of forced labour, or products originating from countries with state-imposed forced labour, this can be widened to include additional products or suppliers.

The decision to investigate companies follows a proportionate and risk-based approach and authorities may look at information submitted to directly to them, information held in a forthcoming forced labour risk database of high-risk product’s and geographic areas, information submitted by civil society, local communities and worker representatives, and investigations under other regulations such as the 3TG Responsible Minerals Regulation (EU) 2017/821.

The European Commission recently issued non-binding guidance and is developing tools to assist companies in tackling forced labour within their supply chains including indicators on forced labour and a forced labour portal. Further tools, including the risks database and information submission portal, are being developed by the EU in preparation for compliance to begin on 14 December 2027.

Relevance to tin supply chains

Since the Regulation covers all sectors and products, this generally includes tin and all products made with tin. Companies can proactively mitigate risks by leveraging existing information and engaging with suppliers on practical measures to manage forced labour through the Tin Code:

• Tin Code standard 4.4 requires that companies will not use or support slavery, servitude, forced, or compulsory labour in their own operations.
• Tin Code standard 4.5 requires that companies will not engage in the worst forms of child labour as defined by Article 3 of ILO Convention No. 182
• Standard 7.3 (Responsible Sourcing) requires companies to evaluate potential risks (including forced labour), seek to avoid support to conflict, human rights and other significant abuses and publicly report on their efforts according to international expectations and laws, in particular the OECD Due Diligence Guidance 3T Supplement in supply chains from conflict affected and high risk areas. See public assurance reports.
• Principle 8 requires companies to positively influence practices of suppliers of materials, goods and services including suppliers of ASM (including on forced labour)

For tin users and buyers, as well as leveraging Tin Code reports, participation in the Responsible Tin Network involves active engagement on forced labour issues. This includes contextual information to understand geographic and supply related forced labour risks, learning how to prioritise these risks, and evaluating the feasibility of traceability and due diligence specific to the tin sector.

While companies remain individually responsible for complying with the EU FLR, proactive due diligence and sector-specific engagement can help reduce compliance risks.

This article represents ITA’s current understanding of the EU FLR and its guidelines as of the date of publication and may be subject to change.

Image credit: © Photo by ALEXANDRE LALLEMAND on Unsplash

The post EU Publishes Guidelines Ahead of Forced Labour Ban appeared first on International Tin Association.