Pewter is one of the oldest known alloys, originating from the Bronze Age. Pewter is a tin-based alloy, which means it is made up of various metals, including tin. Pewter is an antique alloy discovered in ancient Egypt and Rome. The ancient version of pewter differed from modern variants in that it contained lead, whereas antimony and copper are now used instead. Pewter is unique in that it is inexpensive and pliable, making it ideal for use in jewelry, tableware, and decorative pieces.
Fine pewter is a tin-based alloy that contains at least 90% tin while the remaining 10% is a combination of silver, copper, bismuth, antimony, or additional tin. At ASL Pewter, the alloy used for all casting, metal spinning, and welding is 92% tin, 2% copper, and 6% antimony. The London Pewterers’ Guild recognized this alloy as “Fine Pewter” in 1635.
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What is pewter?
Pewter is an alluring metal that has been utilized in the manufacture of household and other products in Britain since Roman times. It is a tin-based alloy that has been hardened and strengthened by the addition of minor amounts of other metals such as copper, lead, or antimony.
After the Romans left in the fifth century, little pewter was produced here until the craft was revived in the 12th century, most likely by Cistercian monks. They utilized the metal to produce ceremonial chalices, patens, and spoons, but pewter’s flexibility was quickly recognized by the larger community.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, pewter was present in every household. It was used on a variety of goods, including jugs, plates, buttons, pilgrim badges, tankards, wine glasses, inkwells, candlesticks, and spoons. Pewter items are still created today.
History of Pewter
- Pewter has been used to create both functional and beautiful artifacts for at least the last three millennia, with allusions in the Bible, ancient Egypt, and the Roman Empire. Tin trade dates back to Phoenician antiquity, and was followed by the Romans; in fact, it is considered that the availability of pewter’s fundamental raw ingredient, tin, in Britain inspired Caesar to invade, having followed early Phoenician trade lines. Tin is currently the fourth most valuable metal after platinum, gold, and silver, and pewter has long been coveted as a substitute for silver.
- With increases in the overall standard of living as well as cultural enlightenment across Europe during the 14th and 17th centuries, pewter became important within the social and economic evolution of society, with pewter gradually replacing wood and clay as the mainstay materials for home-wares, such as plates and cutlery, due to pewter’s greater durability.
- Craft guilds emerged throughout Europe during this period, controlling the quality of pewterers’ work, including the Guild of Pewterers in Nuremberg and the Worshipful Company of Pewterers in England.
- Fortunately, a number of artisanal workshops survived postwar industrialization, and handcrafted pewter is experiencing a resurgence, particularly in Northern Italy, which is well-known around the world for designing and manufacturing highly esteemed tableware. Since the 1970s, many pewter workshops have maintained the forms of old styles that date back centuries, as the moulds where the alloys were fused were expensive to change and thus passed down from generation to generation by the craftsman.
However, as a fantastically versatile material, pewter workshops, depending on the skills of the pewterers within, can produce innovative and elegant designs that marry the heritage of pewter, using the traditional value of craftsmanship, with the freshness of 21st Century design, allowing the ancient material of pewter to hold its own in modern times.
Composition of Pewter
Originally, pewter was a 70% tin, 30% lead alloy. However, the lead reacted with acidic foods that it came into touch with, earning it the nickname “black metal.” This is because it turned darker over time. Pewter is currently 91% tin, 7.5% antimony, and 1.5% copper.
Tin, the major component of pewter, is taken from a mineral known as ‘cassiterite’ or tinstone, which occurs naturally in conjunction with other underground mineral deposits. The techniques required to extract the tinstone from the other minerals are laborious.
Tin is extremely malleable, but it may also break under strain. When it breaks, this metal makes a characteristic sound known as ‘the scream of the tin’. It is an excellent heat conductor, making it ideal for use in the construction of dishwarmers and ice cream moulds.
Physical Properties of Pewter
- Pewter’s tensile strength is 59 MPa, which is low when compared to other common alloys like steel, which has a tensile strength of 420 MPa.
- Pewter has a modulus of elasticity of 53 GPa, making it very malleable and ductile, allowing it to be easily molded into various shapes with hammers or similar means without splitting.
- Low Melting Point: Because of its low melting temperature, pewter may be formed into a variety of shapes.
- Pewter is extremely reflective, with a shining surface similar to silver, which adds to its aesthetic appeal.
Chemical Properties of Pewter
- Over time, pewter reacts with oxygen in the air, causing metal to tarnish.
- Pewter is very combustible when powdered, but not while solid.
- Modern pewter is non-toxic because it contains copper and antimony instead of the conventional hazardous lead.
- Soluble in concentrated hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, aqua regia, concentrated nitric acid, hot caustic solution;
- slowly soluble in cold dilute hydrochloric acid, dilute nitric acid, and hot dilute sulfuric acid; dissolved more slowly in acetic acid.
- It remains stable in air, while tin powder is more easily oxidized, particularly in humid air.
How Is Pewter Mined?
- Pewter is an alloy, which means that its constituent parts are collected separately and mixed.
- Tin, the major component metal, is mined for “cassiterite” in subterranean mineral formations.
- Tin is then extracted from cassiterite and used in pewter or other alloys. Tin is most commonly mined using the gravel pumping method. Draglines are used to retrieve sedimentary deposits from the ground. T
- he sediment is then blasted with high-pressure water jets to separate the sand and tin mixture.
- This mixture then becomes part of a slurry that is scooped up by a gravel pump and fed into a succession of baffled containers.
- In these enclosures, cassiterite sinks, allowing it to be removed.
Types of Pewters
- Britannia: Britannia, also known as Britannium, is composed of approximately 91-93% tin, with copper and antimony added for hardness. It is used in spin-cast molds, which involve pouring liquid pewter into a mold that spins on its axis. Britannia is frequently used in costume jewelry where greatest detail and robustness are sought, and it can also be found in statuettes, most notably Oscar award statues. Britannia is deemed lead-free.
- Gravity Cast Lead-free Pewter: Gravity cast lead-free pewter is around 91 to 93% tin, with antimony and a large amount of copper added. This style makes use of open-faced molds, as well as cast iron and sand molds, which are preheated and coated in a refractory substance to avoid sticking. Molten pewter is poured into the mold and allowed to harden before being removed. Jewelry making and game design are two examples of applications.
- Tin Pewter: Tin pewter is a low-cost metal used in a variety of decorative purposes, including miniatures and models. Higher tin content results in a lower melting point and increased weight. Special tin pewter containing 92% tin has better castability than lead-free Britannia and is suited for repeated mold use, resulting in longer mold life than other metal alloys.
- Lead-free pewter with bismuth.: Bismuth has been used in pewter since the 1980s as a valued replacement for lead, resulting in a less hazardous metal. This sort of pewter is particularly desirable in the molding process because it resists shrinkage and remains pliable. It is utilized in a variety of applications, including jewelry, award medals, decorations, and novelty products.
- Traditional pewter: Traditional pewter has more lead than modern equivalents, which are often made up of 85-99% tin with a combination of copper and lead. It has been used for dinnerware, tankards, candlesticks, oil lamps, and jewelry from ancient Egyptian and Roman times. To ensure safety, new pewter alternatives now contain antimony.
- Modern pewter: Modern pewter is normally composed of at least 90% tin, 0.58% antimony, and up to 2.3% copper, making it lead-free and nontoxic. Due to its low strength in comparison to other metals, it is widely employed in jewelry and other non-structural applications.
- Antique Pewter: Antique pewter refers to collectible things from the past and is essentially the same alloy as modern pewter. The fundamental difference is the oxide coating that accumulates on ancient pewter over time, resulting in a drab gray or black surface as opposed to the reflective silver sheen of modern pewter.
- 25% Tin Pewter Alloy: This is the cheapest pewter on the market, made up of 25% tin, 74% lead, and 2% antimony. It is dense and utilized for products where high weight is not an issue, such as candle holders, but is not commonly used for jewelry due to its weight.
- 35% Tin Pewter Alloy: This alloy, including 35% tin, 62% lead, and 3% antimony, has a low melting point and strong malleability. It strikes a balance between the lower melting temperature and castability of higher-tin pewters and the lower cost and heavier weight of more leaded types.
- 60% Tin Pewter Alloy: This pewter, made up of 60% tin, 37.5% lead, and 2.5% antimony, has the lowest melting point, which extends mold life and lowers production energy costs. It is widely used as a solder for electrical connections, handles, spouts, and hinges.
- 92% Tin Pewter: This alloy is ideal for casting, much better than Britannia pewter. It is used to make models and miniatures because of its superior flow in the molten stage, which allows for detailed molds.
- Tin Base Level: Alloy 1: This alloy, which contains 90% tin, 2% antimony, 2% cadmium, and 6% lead, is specifically developed for moldings with flat surfaces that require a polished finish.
Applications of Pewter
- Pewter was commonly used for tableware such as plates, bowls, tankards, mugs, measures, spoons, and basins before ceramic/glass replaced them.
- Pewter is still cast into home decor items such as statues, figurines, lamps, candelabra, and picture frames.
- Pewter tankards, flasks, and hip flasks are used to make barware and spirits.
- Uniform buttons, insignia, and belt clasps are composed of polished, stamped pewter.
- Some pewter alloys can be transformed into pendants, rings, and bracelets, generally in vintage, steampunk, or Gothic designs.
- Because of their adaptability, pewter miniatures are popular in wargames and role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons.
- The alloy can be cast, etched, and painted to create scale architectural models, ships, airplanes, and item replicas.
- Achievement prizes often include medals, pins, and belt buckles made of polished pewter alloys.
- Create intricate Christmas ornaments, nutcrackers, and snowglobes using cast, finished pewter parts.
Advantages of Pewter
- Versatility: Pewter may be utilized in several casting methods, such as gravity die casting and investment casting, making it a versatile material for various manufacturing procedures.
Pewter is highly ductile and malleable, making it easy to shape and sculpt into intricate shapes. - High Design Flexibility: Its workability allows for tremendous flexibility when building elaborate and complicated designs.
- No Impact on Mold Life: The use of pewter has no negative impact on the lifespan of the dies or molds used in casting, allowing for longer use.
- Lightweight and Complex Parts: Pewter is ideal for making lightweight and complicated molded parts, which can be used in a variety of applications.
- Corrosion and Tarnish Resistance: Pewter is very resistant to corrosion and tarnishing, ensuring long-term aesthetic appeal.
- Environmentally friendly and recyclable: pewter contributes to sustainable production techniques.
Disadvantages of pewter
- Low Mechanical Strength: Pewter has lower hardness, yield strength, tensile strength, and compressive strength than other metals, restricting its use in high-stress applications.
- Heat treatment needed: Heat treatment is typically required to produce particular mechanical qualities in pewter, which adds to the complexity of the manufacturing process.
- Acid Damage: Acidic chemicals can corrode or tarnish pewter’s surface.
- Easily scratched: Pewter’s suppleness makes it readily scratched or dented, necessitating careful handling and upkeep.
Is it safe to use pewter with food?
Pewter containing lead is not suitable for use with food. Acidic foods and beverages, such as wine, fruit juice, tomatoes, and salad dressings, vigorously remove lead from the alloy. However, even neutral substances such as water absorb lead from the metal. Pewter jewelry containing lead offers a health risk since some lead can be absorbed via the skin. Children who wear jewelry may put it in their mouth. Pewter artifacts containing lead can be displayed as decorative pieces, but they should not be handled or utilized.
.Lead-free pewter is safe to use with food and jewelry. Elemental antimony (as in an alloy) does not represent a health danger, however it is uncertain if the metalloid absorbs through the skin. Because antimony compounds are poisonous, it is better to use polished pewter in contact with food while avoiding oxidation. Metal is not ideal for long-term food or beverage preservation. Pewter is not appropriate for cookware due to its relatively low melting point [170-230 °C (338-446 °F)]. Do not put pewter in the oven or microwave.
Is lead present in pewter?
while there are some trace amounts of lead in molecular pewter, they are extremely minute and much below the federally mandated threshold for being considered “lead-free.” This is because lead and tin are frequently found together in the rocks that are used to extract tin, and because lead extraction is not flawless, there are some lead traces in the pewter that we use.
How To Test Presence of Lead in Pewter
- Take note of the metal patina’s hue. Lead is typically indicated by extremely dark oxidation.
Handle the pewter object with a piece of paper. Lead contamination is suggested by a thick, black stain. - Submerge the object in vinegar and look for any white stains. This test is unreliable, however it might reveal lead acetate or lead carbonate.
- Visit a hardware store to buy a lead test kit. Using the test chemicals included in the kit, swab a portion of the pewter. Seek for a shift in hue; lead is usually indicated by pink or red. Rinse the pewter object with soap and water after testing.
- Plumbtesmo 90602 test spots are used by the Canadian Conservation Institute to provide more precise results.Note that certain elements can cause false positive results for lead tests, including tellurium, cadmium, silver, and strontium.
What Are the Differences Between Silver and Pewter?
- Structure: About 91% of pewter is made of tin, with trace amounts of antimony, copper, and occasionally bismuth. Silver, or element silver (Ag), is a metal that is 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, such as copper. Sterling silver is a common kind of silver.
- Color: Pewter appears darker than silver and has a dreary gray tone. Compared to pewter, sterling silver is a brighter white tint.
- Firmness: Compared to silver, pewter is softer and more pliable, making it simpler to bend.
- Worth: Since pewter is less expensive than silver, the material itself is less expensive, but the jewelry made of pewter may be worth more due to its exquisite craftsmanship and beauty when it is produced.
References
- https://www.artofpewter.com/00_storia_del_peltro.asp?lingua=u
- https://www.cnclathing.com/guide/overview-of-pewter-composition-properties-pros-cons-uses-pewter-vs-silver
- https://sciencenotes.org/what-is-pewter-composition-and-safety/
- https://www.suffolklatchcompany.com/blogs/news/what-is-pewter
- https://www.pewtersociety.org/about-pewter
- https://www.artofpewter.com/00_caratteristiche_cosa_e_il_peltro.asp?lingua=u
- https://www.xometry.com/resources/materials/what-is-pewter/
