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What is dross in tin refining?

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In the context of tin processing, dross refers to the waste material or impurities that rise to the surface of molten tin during the fire refining process.1

During a method known as boiling, impure tin is heated in vessels and agitated with compressed air. This process oxidizes the impurities, causing them to separate from the tin and accumulate on the surface as dross. Once formed, this dross can be further treated using liquation, a process that separates the remaining tin from other materials based on differences in their melting temperatures.1