Tin output from Inner Mongolia set to expand
A visit to tin operations in the Inner Mongolia region of China by ITA staff at the end of May 2018 has revealed that mine production in the province may reach 17,400 tpy in the next five years, up from 6,500 tonnes in 2017. Inner Mongolia is currently the...
Major lithium producer patents lithium tin for batteries
The world's largest mine-to-metal lithium producer FMC Corporation, US has published the latest in its series of patents on lithium compounds containing tin, silicon or both for lithium-ion batteries. Both tin and silicon can alloy with lithium ions to store energy...
Tin Phosphide layers ideal for sodium-ion batteries
Researchers have been discovering that layers in the crystal structure of tin phosphide make it an ideal electrode for sodium-ion batteries. Sodium ion batteries work similarly to lithium-ion batteries by using electrode materials that can absorb and store sodium...
Steel merger to shake-up European tinplate industry
European steel and tinplate producers Tata Steel and ThyssenKrupp have finalised merger plans by signing definitive JV agreements, with potential implications for the domestic tinplate industry. The new company, to be named ThyssenKrupp Tata Steel, could make annual...
Optical ore-sorting applied to Australian tin operations
Metals X has reported that commissioning of an optical ore-sorting plant has commenced at its Renison tin mine in Tasmania. Meanwhile, Aus Tin Mining has reported positive results for preliminary ore-sorting test work on ore from its Taronga tin project in New South...
Outotec to deliver Ausmelt for TIMAH
Indonesian state tin producer, PT TIMAH, has agreed to a deal for the design and delivery of a new tin smelter with Finnish firm, Outotec, based on their Ausmelt Furnace technology. The delivery of the furnace is expected to take two years, with completion targeted by...
MSC provides smelter conversion update
Malaysia Smelting Corporation (MSC) has provided an update on its efforts to convert a lead smelter in Port Klang, Malaysia, into a tin smelting plant. The company plans to test-fire the converted furnace by the end of 2018 and start smelting from the plant from the...
Elementos sign Malaysian project MOU
Australian tin explorer and developer, Elementos Limited, has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Empire Tin Mining Sdn Bhd to negotiate a Farm-in and Joint Venture agreement on the Temengor Tin Project in Perak, Malaysia. The Temengor...
New tin innovations for solar cell interconnection
A set of patents published this month focussed on tin innovations for solar cell interconnection, reflecting the importance of this exponentially growing new market. At present cells are typically joined using a mainly tin-lead solder-coated copper wire and lines of...