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A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, [10] ... [60] and in 2009, new deposits of tin were discovered in Colombia. [61] Production
This created the demand for rare tin metal and formed a trade network that linked the distant sources of tin to the markets of Bronze Age cultures. Cassiterite (SnO 2 ), oxidized tin, most likely was the original source of tin in ancient times.
The earliest bronze objects had tin or arsenic content of less than 2% and are therefore believed to be the result of unintentional alloying due to trace metal content in the copper ore [2] It was soon discovered that the addition of tin or arsenic to copper increased its hardness and made casting much easier, which revolutionized metal working ...
The first elemental metal with a clearly identifiable discoverer is cobalt, discovered in 1735 by Georg Brandt, by which time the Scientific Revolution was in full swing. [6] (Even then, cobalt might have been prepared before the 13th century by alchemists roasting and reducing its ore, but,in any case, its distinct nature was not recognised.) [7]
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids, such as arsenic or silicon.
Titanium nitride (TiN) is a refractory solid exhibiting extreme hardness, thermal/electrical conductivity, and a high melting point. [46] TiN has a hardness equivalent to sapphire and carborundum (9.0 on the Mohs scale), [47] and is often used to coat cutting tools, such as drill bits. [48]
In the Near East, about 3,500 BC, it was discovered that by combining copper and tin, a superior metal could be made, an alloy called bronze. This represented a major technological shift known as the Bronze Age. The extraction of iron from its ore into a workable metal is
The extraction of iron from its ore into a workable metal is much more difficult than copper or tin. While iron is not better suited for tools than bronze (until steel was discovered), iron ore is much more abundant and common than either copper or tin, and therefore more often available locally, with no need to trade for it.