Tin Oxide
Formula: SnO2
Tin oxide is a white or off-white powder produced by oxidizing molten high grade tin metal. It is typically quite pure, some manufacturers have grades up to 99.999% purity.
Tin oxide has long been used to opacify glazes (make transparents opaque) at all temperatures. Hand decorated tin glazed earthenware of the 1700/1800s is the most famous use of tin in glazes (delftware-England, faience-France, maiolica-Italy). While many potters are keeping this tradition alive today most now use zircon based opacifiers instead. Thus any discussion about the use of tin oxide as an opacifier ends up comparing it with zircon products:
-Twice as much zircon is required to produce the same level of opacity.
-Like zircon, tin melts at very high temperatures and thus does not go into solution in typical glaze melts.
-Zircon will stiffen the glaze melt more than tin.
-Zircon will likely produce a harder glaze surface.
-Zircon will reduce the thermal expansion of the glaze more than tin.
-The quality of the white color is different (tin tends to be more of a blue white, zircon a yellowish white).
-Tin is very expensive, this is likely the main reason for its much more limited use as an opacifier today.
-Zircon tends to have less of an effect on the development of metal oxide colors (e.g. tin reacts with chrome to make pink).
-Tin can react with titanium and rutile to variegate the glaze.
-If gloss is an issue, silica might have to be reduced to compensate for the silica introduced by a zirconium silicate opacifier being substituted for tin.
-While there are other products that produce varying degrees of opacity, none are as neutral and non-reactive as tin and zircon. Other opacifiers also tend to variegate the glaze.
-Copper red glazes require tin, with iron in oxidation tin makes a warmer shade of brown than zirconium does.
Mechanisms
Glaze Opacifier - White As little as 4-7% can produce brilliant white, although it is more typical to use 8-10% for full opacity. However, be aware that even tiny amounts of chrome in the kiln will volatilize and combine with the tin to produce pink shades. Glaze Variegation - Tin/Iron Effects Tin reacts with iron in fluid glazes to produce variegated surfaces. A good example is the Albany Slip 85, Tin 4, Lithium 11 glaze for cone 6.
Out Bound Links
- (URLs)
The Mineral Cassiterite
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/oxides/cassi... - (Materials - Related)
Zirconium Dioxide - ZrO2
Zirconia, ZrO2
- (MDT - Member)
Europe
Countries of Eastern Europe and former Soviet Unio... - (Typecodes)
1: GNM - Generic Material
- (Typecodes)
1: OPA - Opacifier
- (Minerals - Mineral equivalent)
Cassiterite
Tin oxide mineral. - (MDT - Member)
Australia
We are working on this database and would apprecia... - (MDT - Member)
Asia
All of Asia including Turkey, Russia, Indosnesia, ... - (URLs)
Tin Oxide at Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_dioxide - (MDT - Member)
Africa
All of continental Africa. We are working on this ... - (MDT - Member)
Latin and South America
Latin America and South America. We are working on... - (MDT - Member)
New Zealand
We are working on this database and would apprecia... - (MDT - Member)
North America
The decision about what materials to include in th... - (MDT - Member)
Ron Roy
This is the traditional Ron Roy materials file. He... - (MDT - Member)
UK
We are working on this database and would apprecia... - (MDT - Member)
Crystal Glazes
These materials are specially defined for makers o... - (MDT - Member)
Enamel Industry
We are working on this database and would apprecia... - (MDT - Member)
Glass Industry
The materials included in this MDT were selected i...
In Bound Links
Pictures
An example of what 5% tin oxide does in a transparent boron cone 6 glaze (G2884) on a dark firing clay body
This is the same Alberta Slip glaze at cone 6, except the one on the right has 4% tin added (Alberta Slip 80, Frit 3134 20, Rutile 4).
XML for Import into INSIGHT
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<material name="Tin Oxide" descrip="" searchkey="Stannic Oxide, Tin(IV) Oxide, Tin Dioxide, SnO2" loi="0.00" casnumber="18282-10-5">
<oxides>
<oxide symbol="SnO2" name="Tin Oxide, Stannic Oxide" status="" percent="100.000" tolerance=""/>
</oxides>
</material> | 
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