Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Pure Tin (Grade A)
UNS L13002 · ASTM B339 Grade A
Pure Tin (Grade A) is commercially pure tin to ASTM B339 Grade A (UNS L13002), used as the base metal for alloying babbitts, pewter, solders and for tin plating.
Reference datasheet — Pure Tin (Grade A) is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Pure Tin (Grade A) tempers and conditions
Pure Tin (Grade A) is supplied in 3 conditions, soft to hard.
Compare all 3 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
As cast | Pick for cast tin anodes, organ-pipe metal blanks and small decorative castings. | 9 | 14 | 40 | 5 HB | 15 % IACS |
Cold-rolled sheet, strip and foil | Pick for tin foil, capacitor/organ sheet and formed linings; rolling gives finer grain but tin recrystallizes at room temperature so it stays soft. | 11 | 18 | 55 | 6 HB | 15 % IACS |
Extruded / drawn | Pick for tin wire feedstock, collapsible tube and organ-pipe/tin plumbing forms. | 11 | 17 | 50 | 5 HB | 15 % IACS |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways Pure Tin (Grade A) is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
IngotDefault | As-cast Grade A tin ingot | Supply form |
SHOT | Shot / granules / atomised powder | Supply form |
ANODE | Cast or rolled electroplating anode | Surface finish |
What is Pure Tin (Grade A)?
Pure Tin (Grade A) is commercially pure tin to ASTM B339 Grade A (UNS L13002), used as the base metal for alloying babbitts, pewter, solders and for tin plating. It is chosen for corrosion resistance and low toxicity, and is stocked as ingot, cast shapes, rolled sheet, extrusions, plating anode and shot. Strength is minimal — 10 MPa yield, 15 MPa tensile, 4.5 HB — with 40% elongation and 15% IACS conductivity, and it creeps under sustained load, so it is not a structural metal. For load-bearing tin parts, step up to a tin-antimony pewter or Britannia metal. Pure Tin (Grade A) has a density of 7.3 g/cm³ (0.264 lb/in³), lighter than 93% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 232°C (449 °F). Pure Tin (Grade A) has a yield strength of 10 MPa (1.45 ksi) and a tensile strength of 15 MPa (2.18 ksi) — weaker than 90% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 45% and the elastic modulus is 45 GPa (6.53 Msi).
What is Pure Tin (Grade A) used for?
- Master alloy feedstock for babbitt/pewter production
- Tin plating anodes
- Solder alloy manufacture
- Chemical/food-grade tin products
Advantages
- Good corrosion resistance — 70/100, better than 100% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Conducts heat well — 66 W/m·K (38.1 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 97% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- High electrical conductivity — 15 % IACS, better than 97% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Lightweight — 7.3 g/cm³ (0.264 lb/in³), better than 93% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Ductile — tolerates forming and impact — 45%, better than 84% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Limitations
- Low strength — 10 MPa (1.45 ksi), worse than 90% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- High embodied carbon — 18 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 76% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Pure Tin (Grade A) properties
Typical room-temperature values; bars are the position among solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Physical3
Pure Tin (Grade A) has a density of 7.3 g/cm³ (0.264 lb/in³), lighter than 93% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 232°C (449 °F).
Mechanical11
Pure Tin (Grade A) has a yield strength of 10 MPa (1.45 ksi) and a tensile strength of 15 MPa (2.18 ksi) — weaker than 90% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 45% and the elastic modulus is 45 GPa (6.53 Msi).
Thermal6
Pure Tin (Grade A) is rated for continuous service to 100°C (212 °F). It conducts heat at 66 W/m·K (38.1 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 97% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Thermal expansion is 22 µm/m·K (12.2 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Pure Tin (Grade A) conducts electricity at 15 % IACS, better than 97% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is very good (70/100), better than 100% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Pure Tin (Grade A) takes about 320 MJ of energy and emits 18 kg of CO₂ — more than 81% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Typical recycled content is 30%.
Manufacturability7
Pure Tin (Grade A)'s machinability is fair (35/100, better than 58% of solder & low-melting alloy grades); weldability poor (30/100); formability excellent (95/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the solder & low-melting alloy family
Yield strength against density for every solder & low-melting alloy grade FabDigit runs. Pure Tin (Grade A) is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Pure Tin (Grade A)
Is Pure Tin (Grade A) easy to machine?
Very soft and gummy — use sharp high-rake HSS tools, high speed, light cuts and flood lubricant (paraffin/kerosene) to stop smearing and built-up edge; expect poor chip control rather than tool wear.
Can Pure Tin (Grade A) be welded?
Not arc-welded in practice; joined by fusion/soldering with tin or tin-lead filler and rosin flux, or by simple remelting since the base metal itself is the solder.
Can Pure Tin (Grade A) be formed, bent or molded?
Rolls, extrudes and spins with almost no limit because tin recrystallizes at room temperature and cannot be work-hardened; but it creeps under sustained load so avoid structural or spring applications.
Pure Tin (Grade A) chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) |
|---|---|
| Sb | ≤ 0.04 |
| As | ≤ 0.05 |
| Bi | ≤ 0.03 |
| Cu | ≤ 0.04 |
| Fe | ≤ 0.02 |
| Pb | ≤ 0.05 |
| Cd | ≤ 0 |
| Ni+Co | ≤ 0.01 |
| Zn | ≤ 0.01 |
| Al | ≤ 0.01 |
| S | ≤ 0.01 |
| Ag | ≤ 0.01 |
| SnASTM B339 Grade A minimum tin content | ≥ 99.85 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on Pure Tin (Grade A)?
Burnishes and buffs to a soft bright lustre that dulls quickly; no anodizing — protect with lacquer or leave the natural oxide, and keep parts above ~13 °C in long-term cold storage to avoid tin pest.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Pure Tin (Grade A) in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- UNS
- L13002
- ASTM
- B339 Grade A
- Also called
- Grade A Tin
How much does Pure Tin (Grade A) cost?
Pure Tin (Grade A) is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Pure Tin (Grade A) — frequently asked
What is Pure Tin (Grade A) used for?
Pure Tin (Grade A) is typically used for master alloy feedstock for babbitt/pewter production, tin plating anodes, solder alloy manufacture and chemical/food-grade tin products. In short: base metal for tin alloys; non-toxic and corrosion resistant; softest common shop metal.
What is the yield strength of Pure Tin (Grade A)?
Pure Tin (Grade A) has a typical yield strength of 10 MPa (1.45 ksi) and a tensile strength of 15 MPa (2.18 ksi) — weaker than 90% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 3 listed tempers.
Is Pure Tin (Grade A) easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated fair (35/100, better than 58% of solder & low-melting alloy grades). Very soft and gummy — use sharp high-rake HSS tools, high speed, light cuts and flood lubricant (paraffin/kerosene) to stop smearing and built-up edge; expect poor chip control rather than tool wear.
Can Pure Tin (Grade A) be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (30/100). Not arc-welded in practice; joined by fusion/soldering with tin or tin-lead filler and rosin flux, or by simple remelting since the base metal itself is the solder.
What surface finishes work on Pure Tin (Grade A)?
Burnishes and buffs to a soft bright lustre that dulls quickly; no anodizing — protect with lacquer or leave the natural oxide, and keep parts above ~13 °C in long-term cold storage to avoid tin pest.
Can Pure Tin (Grade A) be formed, bent or molded?
Rolls, extrudes and spins with almost no limit because tin recrystallizes at room temperature and cannot be work-hardened; but it creeps under sustained load so avoid structural or spring applications.
What is the maximum service temperature of Pure Tin (Grade A)?
Pure Tin (Grade A) is rated for continuous use to about 100°C (212 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Pure Tin (Grade A) cost?
Pure Tin (Grade A) is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- ASTM B339 — Standard Specification for Pig Tin — ASTM International (2022)
- GB/T 728 (2020)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 2 — Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys (Tin and Tin Alloys) — ASM International (1990)
- CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics — Properties of the Elements (Sn) — CRC Press (2021)
- Tin and tin alloy technical data — International Tin Association (formerly ITRI) (2020)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.