ALUMINUM VS. TIN W H I C H I S B E T T E R F O R C A N S ?
APPEARANCE • Both refined aluminum and tin are silvery-gray in color. Evaluation: T he appearance of the two metals doesn’t affect their use in cans.
HARDNESS • Aluminum has a hardness of 2 − 2.9 on the Mohs scale. • Tin has a hardness of 1.5 − 1.8 on the Mohs scale. • Though tin is softer than aluminum, it is more durable. Evaluation: Tin-coated steel seems better suited for use in cans since it’s more durable.
LUSTER • Aluminum has a metallic luster. • Tin has a metallic luster. Evaluation: Because both tin and aluminum have the same luster, there is no benefit of using one resource over the other.
MAGNETISM • Aluminum is not magnetic. • Tin has very weak magnetism. Evaluation: There does not seem to be a benefit of one over the other in terms of magnetism.
RECYCLING • Both aluminum and tin/steel cans are 100% recyclable; however, aluminum recycling is more energy- and cost-efficient. • Only about 50% of aluminum cans are currently recycled, while 65% of tin/steel is recycled. • Recycling metals reduces the amount of ore that needs to be mined. Evaluation: Aluminum has the advantage of easier recycling.
ABUNDANCE • Aluminum is most commonly found as the ore bauxite. It is the third most abundant element in Earth’s crust and the most abundant metal. • Tin is most commonly found as the ore cassiterite. It is the 49th most abundant element in Earth’s crust. • While bauxite is more common than cassiterite , it’s more difficult to refine. Evaluation: Aluminum is harder to refine, but much more abundant, so it’s more available.
OTHER NOTABLE CHARACTERISTICS • Aluminum cans, unlike tin, do not usually affect food or beverage taste. • Aluminum cans are lighter in weight and save on shipping costs. Evaluation: Aluminum is preferable over tin-coated steel cans.
CONCLUSION • Because aluminum is more abundant, easier to recycle, lighter in weight, and does not affect food and beverage taste, it is preferable to tin for canning.
IMAGE ATTRIBUTIONS Page 2: mrtwister / 123rf Page 2: Alexandr Blokhin / 123rf Page 3: Stephan Stockinger / 123rf Page 4: Jag_cz / Shutterstock Page 5: Oleksiy Mark / Shutterstock Page 6: barbaliss / Shutterstock Page 7: vvoe / Shutterstock Page 7: vvoennyy / 123rf Page 8: Digital Genetics / Shutterstock
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