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Pewter is a malleable metal alloy, traditionally
between 85 and 99 percent tin, with the remainder consisting of
copper, antimony, bismuth and lead. Copper and antimony act as
hardeners while lead is common in the lower grades of pewter, which
have a bluish tint. It has a low melting point, around 170–230 °C,
depending on the exact mixture of metals. The word pewter is probably
a variation of the word spelter, a non-scientific name for zinc. |