Tin pest, also known as "tin disease" or "tin decay," is a phenomenon that affects tin, particularly at low temperatures (below approximately 13.2 °C or 55.8 °F). It involves the transformation of beta-tin (the stable form of tin at higher temperatures) into alpha-tin, which is a powdery, non-metallic form of tin that can lead to the deterioration of tin objects.
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Degradation associated with the slow transformation of white tin to lower-density grey tin. Nucleation, impurities and thermal history strongly affect its kinetics.