Tinplate is fundamentally steel rather than aluminum. The structural core of tinplate consists of a thin, cold-rolled sheet of low-carbon mild steel, which is subsequently coated on both sides with an extremely thin layer of metallic tin through an electrolytic plating process. This specialized combination marries the high structural strength, durability, and formability of steel with the exceptional corrosion resistance and non-toxic protective qualities of tin, making it the preferred material for food preservation cans and industrial packaging containers.