Antimony is a silvery-white metal that has a number of uses in industry and commerce.
Sources of Antimony: Antimony is primarily obtained from the mineral stibnite (Sb2S3). The largest producers of antimony are China, Russia, and Bolivia.
Uses of Antimony:
Fire retardants: Antimony is used as a flame retardant in a variety of products, including building materials, electronics, and textiles.
Lead-acid batteries: Antimony is used in the production of lead-acid batteries, where it helps to improve the performance and durability of the batteries.
Alloys: Antimony is used in alloys to improve their strength and hardness. Antimony is a component of pewter, an alloy of tin, copper, and antimony that is used to make tableware and other objects.
Glass production: Antimony is used in the production of glasses and ceramics to improve their strength and durability.
Properties of Antimony:
Density: Antimony has a density of 6.697 g/cm3.
Melting point: The melting point of antimony is 630.63°C.
Chemical stability: Antimony is highly resistant to corrosion and is commonly used in a variety of applications where its stability is important.
Hardness: Antimony is a relatively hard metal and is often used in alloys to improve the hardness of other metals.
Extraction of Antimony: Antimony is extracted from its ores through a process called smelting, which involves heating the ore in a furnace to produce antimony metal. The antimony is then purified through a series of chemical processes to remove impurities.