ANTIMONY ORE

Antimony (pronounced /ˈæntɨmɵnɪ/ AN-ti-mo-nee);^{[note 2]} Latin: stibium) is a chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. It has two stable isotopes, one with seventy neutrons, the other with seventy-two. A silvery lustrous grey metalloid, it is found mainly as antimony sulfide, commonly known as stibnite.
Elemental antimony has applications in electronics and as an alloy with other metals it is used for small arms ammunition.

Detailed descriptin:

Etymology

The ancient words for antimony mostly have, as their chief meaning, kohl, the sulfide of antimony. Pliny the Elder, however, distinguishes between male and female forms of antimony; his male form is probably the sulfide, while the female form, which is superior, heavier, and less friable, is probably native metallic antimony.

History

Antimony's sulfide compound, antimony(III) sulfide, Sb₂S₃ was recognized in antiquity, at least as early as 3000 BC.

An artifact made of antimony dating to about 3000 BC was found at Tello, Chaldea (part of present-day Iraq), and a copper object plated with antimony dating between 2500 BC and 2200 BC has been found in Egypt. There is some uncertainty as to the description of the artifact from Tello. Although it is sometimes reported to be a vase, a recent detailed discussion reports it to be rather a fragment of indeterminate purpose. The first European description of a procedure for isolating antimony is in the book De la pirotechnia of 1540 by Vannoccio Biringuccio, written in Italian. This book precedes the more famous 1556 book in Latin by Agricola, De re metallica, even though Agricola has been often incorrectly credited with the discovery of metallic antimony.

Characteristics

Physical properties

There are four known allotropes of antimony: a stable metallic form, and three meta-stable forms which are explosive, black and yellow. Each has its own distinct physical properties, the most common of which is metallic antimony, a brittle, silver-white shiny metal. When molten antimony is slowly cooled to metallic antimony, it forms with an hexagonal crystal structure, isomorphic with that of the grey form of arsenic.

The explosive form of antimony is formed from the electrolysis of antimony(III) trichloride, under specific temperatures and concentration. In a bath of hydrochloric with an antimony anode and platinum foil cathode, explosive antimony is deposited on the latter. When scratched with a sharp implement, an exothermic reaction occurs and white fumes given off as metallic antimony is formed; alternatively, when rubbed with a pestle in a mortar, an strong detonation occurs. Black antimony is formed when gaseous metallic antimony is rapidly cooled. It oxidies in air and is sometimes spontaneously combustible. At 100 °C, it gradually transforms into the stable form. Finally, the yellow allotrope of antimony is the most unstable. While it cannot be produced as the black allotrope by rapid cooling, it can only be formed by introducing oxygen into antimony hydride at -90 °C. Above this temperature and in ordinary light, it transforms into the stabler black allotrope.

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$2.23/KG OR $1.01/IB

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