Mining in Cornwall and Devon tin was found as alluvial deposits of cassiterite in the gravels of stream beds. Eventually tin was mined underground; underground mines sprang up as early as the 16th century. Tin lodes were also found in outcroppings of cliffs. Tin is one of the earliest metals to have been exploited in Britain. Chalcolithic metal workers discovered that by putting a small proportion of tin (5 – 20%) in molten copper, the alloy bronze was produced. The alloy is harder than copper. The oldest production of tin-bronze is in Turkey about 3500 BC, but exploitation of the tin resources in Britain is
Tin-silver-copper (95%+) tin. For example, the common "SAC305" solder is 3.0% silver and 0.5% copper. Cheaper alternatives with less silver are used in some applications, such as SAC105 and SAC0307 (0.3% silver, 0.7% copper), at the expense of a somewhat higher melting point. SAC alloys are the main choice for lead-free surface-mount technology (SMT) assembly in the electronics industry. SMT is a process where components of circuit assemblies are mounted directly onto the surface of a printed circuit board and soldered in place. SMT has largely replaced “through-hole technology” where components are fitted with wire leads into holes in the circuit