Organotin compounds

Although organotin compounds were first identified in the mid nineteenth century, industrial development of these chemicals did not occur until nearly a century later. Over the past 40 years world production and usage of organotin compounds has grown to a level that is currently estimated to be at around 50 000 tonnes per annum. The major industrial application of organotin compounds is with the mono- and di- derivatives, which are used as heat and light stabilizers in PVC processing. Mono/dibutyltin derivatives find widespread application in pipe, sheeting and other rigid PVC manufacture. Octyltin thioglycolate derivatives are approved worldwide as stabilizers for PVC used in food packaging materials and in bottles used for potable liquids. Thio-organotin stabilizers have the unique advantage of producing crystal clear PVC.

Triorganotin compounds are biologically active. They represent a smaller tonnage market – between 15 and 20% of total organotin world manufacture. Triorganotin compounds have an important place in the agrochemical field as fungicides and miticides, with the production and use of about 5000 tonnes per annum. Triphenyltin compounds (the acetate and hydroxide) are of particular importance in potato crop blight control. There was usage of triphenyltin derivatives in anti-fouling paint manufacture during the period 1960–85. Such usage has virtually disappeared from all world markets. Trineophyltin and tricyclohexyltin derivatives are used as miticides/acaricides. Tributyltin compounds were first examined for their biological properties in the early 1950s at the Institute for Organic Chemistry TNO, Utrecht, Holland (van der Kerk & Luijten, 1954).