antimony
Sign in to saveAntimony is a chemical element with the symbol Sb () and atomic number 51. A lustrous grey metal or metalloid, it occurs in nature mainly in the form of the sulfide mineral stibnite (). Antimony compounds have been known since ancient times and were powdered for use as medicine and cosmetics, often known by the Arabic name kohl.
AI overview
Antimony is a silvery-grey metal or metalloid element that is found in nature primarily as a mineral called stibnite. Historically, antimony compounds have been used since ancient times for medicinal and cosmetic purposes, including as a powder called kohl.
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Article
25 sectionsContents
- Characteristics
- Properties
- Isotopes
- Occurrence
- Compounds
- Oxides and hydroxides
- Halides
- Antimonides, hydrides, and organoantimony compounds
- History
- Etymology
- Production
- Process
- Top producers and production volumes
- Reserves
- Supply risk
- Applications
- Flame retardants
- Alloys
- Other applications
- Precautions
- Toxicity
- Notes
- References
- Cited sources
- External links
Antimony is a chemical element with the symbol Sb () and atomic number 51. A lustrous grey metal or metalloid, it occurs in nature mainly in the form of the sulfide mineral stibnite (). Antimony compounds have been known since ancient times and were powdered for use as medicine and cosmetics, often known by the Arabic name kohl.
China is the largest producer of antimony and its compounds, with most production coming from the Xikuangshan Mine in Hunan. The industrial methods for refining antimony from stibnite are roasting followed by reduction with carbon, or direct reduction of stibnite with iron.