Antimony & compounds: Overview
Description
Antimony is mixed into alloys and used in lead storage batteries, solder, sheet and pipe metal, motor bearings, castings, semiconductors, and pewter. Antimony oxide is added to textiles, plastics, rubber, adhesives, pigments and paper to prevent them from catching fire. It is also used in paints, ceramics, ammunition and fireworks, and as enamels for plastics, metal, and glass. Antimony compounds also find medical uses.
Substance details
Substance name: Antimony & compounds
CASR number: 7440-36-0
Molecular formula: Sb
Synonyms: Stibium, Regulus of antimony, Antimony regulus, Antimony black, C.I. 77050, Antimony bar
Physical properties
Brittle, silvery-white metalloid with low thermal and electrical conductivity, displaying both metallic and non-metallic characteristics. Antimony may also exist as unstable yellow crystalline, or amorphous black, allotropes.
Atomic Number: 51
Atomic Mass: 121.8
Melting Point: 631°C
Boiling Point: about 1750°C
Specific Gravity: 6.7
Vapour Density: 4.2
Chemical properties
Antimony metal is stable under ordinary conditions and is not readily attacked by air or water. It reacts with strong oxidisers, acids and halogenated acids. Generally, antimony is not used alone. It can be mixed with other metals to form antimony alloys or used to form antimony compounds where antimony may exist in oxidation states of -III, +III or +V. The most important compounds are antimony oxides, i.e. antimony trioxide and antimony pentoxide. Antimony trioxide is slightly soluble in water. Other less-important antimony compounds include antimony pentasulfide, antimony chloride, antimony potassium tartrate, antimony trichloride, antimony trisulfide and antimony hydride (or stibine).
Further information
The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) holds data for all sources of antimony emissions in Australia.
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