This article is about the element. For the town in Utah, see
Antimony,
Utah.
|
|
| General |
| Name, Symbol,
Number |
antimony, Sb, 51 |
| Chemical series |
metalloids |
| Group, Period,
Block |
15, 5, p |
| Appearance |
silvery lustrous grey
 |
| Standard atomic weight |
121.760(1)
g·mol−1 |
| Electron configuration |
[Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p3 |
| Electrons per shell |
2, 8, 18, 18, 5 |
| Physical properties |
| Phase |
solid |
| Density (near r.t.) |
6.697 g·cm−3 |
| Liquid density at m.p. |
6.53 g·cm−3 |
| Melting point |
903.78 K
(630.63 °C, 1167.13 °F) |
| Boiling point |
1860 K
(1587 °C, 2889 °F) |
| Heat of fusion |
19.79 kJ·mol−1 |
| Heat of vaporization |
193.43 kJ·mol−1 |
| Heat capacity |
(25 °C) 25.23 J·mol−1·K−1 |
Vapor pressure
| P(Pa) |
1 |
10 |
100 |
1 k |
10 k |
100 k |
| at T(K) |
807 |
876 |
1011 |
1219 |
1491 |
1858 |
|
| Atomic properties |
| Crystal structure |
rhombohedral |
| Oxidation states |
−3, 3, 5 |
| Electronegativity |
2.05 (scale Pauling) |
Ionization energies
(more) |
1st: 834 kJ·mol−1 |
| 2nd: 1594.9 kJ·mol−1 |
| 3rd: 2440 kJ·mol−1 |
| Atomic radius |
145 pm |
| Atomic radius (calc.) |
133 pm |
| Covalent radius |
138 pm |
| Miscellaneous |
| Magnetic ordering |
no data |
| Electrical resistivity |
(20 °C) 417 n Ω·m |
| Thermal conductivity |
(300 K) 24.4 W·m−1·K−1 |
| Thermal expansion |
(25 °C) 11.0 µm·m−1·K−1 |
| Speed of sound (thin rod) |
(20 °C) 3420 m/s |
| Young's modulus |
55 GPa |
| Shear modulus |
20 GPa |
| Bulk modulus |
42 GPa |
| Mohs hardness |
3.0 |
| Brinell hardness |
294 MPa |
| CAS registry number |
7440-36-0 |
| Selected isotopes |
|
|
| References |
Antimony (IPA: (North America) 'æntəməʊni (British English) 'æntəməni) is a chemical
element in the periodic table that has the symbol Sb (Latin: stibium, meaning "mark") and atomic
number 51. A metalloid, antimony has four allotropic
forms. The stable form of antimony is a blue-white metalloid. Yellow and black antimony are unstable non-metals. Antimony is used
in flame-proofing, paints, ceramics, enamels, a wide variety of alloys, electronics, and rubber.
Notable characteristics
Antimony in its elemental form is a silvery white, brittle, fusible, crystalline solid that exhibits poor electrical and heat conductivity properties and
vaporizes at low temperatures. A metalloid, antimony resembles a metal in its appearance and in many of its physical properties, but does not
chemically react as a metal. It is also attacked by oxidizing acids and halogens. Antimony and
some of its alloys are unusual in that they expand on cooling. Antimony is geochemically categorized as a chalcophile, occurring with sulfur and the heavy metals lead, copper, and
silver.
Estimates of the abundance of antimony in the Earth's crust range from 0.2 to
0.5 ppm. According to New Scientist (26 May
2007)[1] the earth has an
estimated thirty years supply left of this element; however, with anticipated increases in demand the supply could be exhausted
in 15 years.
Applications
Antimony is increasingly being used in the semiconductor industry in the production of
diodes, infrared detectors, and Hall-effect devices. As an alloy, this metalloid greatly increases
lead's hardness and mechanical strength. The most important use of antimony is as a hardener in
lead for storage batteries. Uses include:
Antimony compounds in the form of oxides, sulfides, sodium
antimonate, and antimony trichloride are used in the making of flame-proofing compounds, ceramic
enamels, glass, paints, and pottery. Antimony trioxide is the most important of the antimony compounds and is primarily used in
flame-retardant formulations. These flame-retardant applications include such markets as children's clothing, toys, aircraft and
automobile seat covers. Also, antimony sulfide is one of the ingredients of safety
matches.
The natural sulfide of antimony, stibnite, was known and used in Biblical times as
medicine and as a cosmetic. Stibnite is still used in some
developing countries as medicine. Antimony has been used for the treatment of schistosomiasis. Antimony attaches itself to sulfur atoms in certain
enzymes which are used by both the parasite and human host. Small doses can kill the parasite
without causing damage to the patient. Antimony and its compounds are used in several veterinary preparations like Anthiomaline or Lithium antimony thiomalate, which is used as a skin
conditioner in ruminants. Antimony has a nourishing or conditioning effect on keratinized tissues, at least in animals. Tartar
emetic is another antimony preparation which is used as an anti-schistosomal drug. Treatments chiefly involving antimony have
been called antimonials.
A coin made of antimony was issued in the Keichow Province of China in 1931. The coins were not
popular, being too soft and they wore quickly when in circulation. After the first issue no others were produced.[2]
Names of antimony
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, the female form, which is superior, heavier, and less friable, is
probably native metallic antimony.[3]
The Egyptians called antimony mśdmt; in hieroglyphics, the vowels are uncertain, but there is an Arabic tradition that
the word is mesdemet.[4] The Greek word,
stimmi, is probably a loan word from Arabic or Egyptian, and is used by the Attic tragic poets of the 5th century BC;
later Greeks also used stibi, as did Celsus and Pliny, writing in Latin,
in the first century AD. Pliny also gives the names stimi [sic], larbaris, alabaster, and the "very common" platyophthalmos, "wide-eye" (from the effect of the cosmetic). Later
Latin authors adapted the word to Latin as stibium. The Arabic word for the substance, as opposed to the cosmetic, can
appear as ithmid, athmoud, othmod, or uthmod. Littré suggests the first form, which is the earliest, derives from
stimmida, (one) accusative for stimmi.[5]
The use of Sb as the standard chemical symbol for antimony is due to the 18th century chemical pioneer,
Jöns Jakob Berzelius, who used this abbreviation of the name stibium.
The medieval Latin form, from which the modern languages, and late Byzantine Greek, take their names, is antimonium.
The origin of this is uncertain; all suggestions have some difficulty either of form or interpretation. The popular etymology,
from anti-monachos or French antimoine, still has adherents; this would mean "monk-killer", and is explained by
many early alchemists being monks, and antimony being poisonous.[6] So does the hypothetical Greek word antimonos, "against one", explained as "not found as
metal", or "not found unalloyed".[7] Lippmann conjectured a
Greek word, anthemonion, which would mean "floret", and he cites several examples of related Greek words (but not that
one) which describe chemical or biological efflorescence.[8]
The early uses of antimonium include the translations, in 1050-1100, by Constantine the African of Arabic medical treatises.[9] Several authorities believe that antimonium is a scribal corruption of
some Arabic form; Meyerhof derives it from ithmid;[10] other possibilities include Athimar, the Arabic name of the metal, and a hypothetical
*as-stimmi, derived from or parallel to, the Greek.[11]
History
Antimony's sulfide compound, antimony (III) trisulfide, Sb2S3 was recognized in antiquity, at least as
early as 3000 BC. Pastes of Sb2S3 powder in fat[12] or in other materials have been used since that date as eye
cosmetics in the Middle East and farther afield; in this use, Sb2S3 is called "kohl". It was used to darken
the brows and lashes, or to draw a line around the perimeter of the eye.
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.[13] 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 of it reports it to be rather a fragment of
indeterminate purpose.[14]
According to the history of metallurgy, the first 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.
According to the traditional history of western alchemy, metallic antimony was described
(previous to Biringuccio) by the putative Prior Basilius Valentinus in a Latin
manuscript, Currus Triumphalis Antimonii, supposedly circa 1450. This manuscript was published in 1604 in English
translation as The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony, by Johann Thölde (1565–1614). The marvelous discovery of a complete set
of Valentinus' manuscripts, including the alchemical tales, is fully described by Jean-Jacques Manget in his Bibliotheca chemica curiosa (1702): the manuscripts had been
enclosed for more than a century in a pillar of St. Peter's Abbey, at Erfurt, until the pillar
was shattered by a thunderbolt. Many scholars have considered Basilius Valentinus a mythological personage. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716) declared, after careful enquiry, that no Prior Valentinus ever
existed in the Abbey of Erfurt, rather that the name was only a pseudonym – probably of Thölde himself – used to merge poorly
translated materials of various origins.
According to the traditional history of Middle Eastern alchemy, pure antimony was well known to Geber, sometimes called "the Father of Chemistry", in the 8th century. Here there is still an open controversy:
Marcellin Berthelot, who translated a number of Geber's books, stated that antimony
is never mentioned in them, but other authors claim that Berthelot translated only some of the less important books, while the
more interesting ones (some of which might describe antimony) are not yet translated, and their content is completely
unknown.
Sources
Native massive antimony with
oxidation products
World production trend of antimony
Even though this element is not abundant, it is found in over 100 mineral species. Antimony
is sometimes found native, but more frequently it is found in the sulfide stibnite
(Sb2S3) which is the predominant ore mineral. Commercial forms of antimony
are generally ingots, broken pieces, granules, and cast cake. Other forms are powder, shot, and single crystals.
In 2005, China was the top producer of antimony with about 84% world share followed at a distance by South Africa, Bolivia and
Tajikistan, reports the British Geological Survey.
Chiffres de 2003, métal contenue dans les minerais et concentrés, source: L'état du
monde 2005
The largest mine in China is Xikuangshan mine in Hunan
Province.
See also Antimonide minerals, Antimonate minerals.
Precautions
Antimony and many of its compounds are toxic. Clinically, antimony
poisoning is very similar to arsenic poisoning. In small doses, antimony causes headache, dizziness, and depression. Larger doses cause violent and frequent vomiting, and will lead to death in a few
days.
See also arsenic poisoning.
Leaching from PET
A study found that antimony is leaching from PET bottles (reported for
some acidic fruit drinks),[citation needed] but at levels below drinking water guidelines. The guidelines are:
- WHO, 20 µg l–1
- Japan, 15 µg l–1[15]
- US EPA, Health Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Environment, 6 µg l–1
- German Federal Ministry of Environment, 5 µg l–1[16]
The acidic nature of the drink is sufficient to dissolve small amounts of antimony oxide
contained in the packaging of the drink;[citation needed] modern manufacturing methods prevent this occurrence.[citation needed] However, researchers are concerned
that antimony levels correspond to duration the bottle is left to stand - the longer the beverage has been bottled, the higher
the antimony leached.[citation needed]
Compounds
See also Antimony compounds.
See also
References
- ^ [1] New Scientist, "Earth's natural wealth: an audit"
- ^ http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/metal.html
- ^ Pliny, Natural history, 33.33; W.H.S. Jones, the Loeb translator, supplies a note suggesting the identifications.
- ^ Albright, p.230; Sarton p.541, quotes Meyerhof, the translator of the book
he is reviewing.
- ^ LSJ, s.v.,
vocalisation, spelling, and declension vary; Endlich, p.28; Celsus, 6.6.6 ff; Pliny Natural History 33.33; Lewis and
Short: Latin Dictionary. OED, s. "antimony".
- ^ The use of a symbol resembeling an upside down "female" symbol for antimony
could also hint at a satirical pun in this origin
- ^ See, for example, Diana Fernando, Alchemy : an illustrated A to
Z (1998) and Kirk-Othmer (below) respectively. Fernando even derives it from the story of how "Basil Valentine" and his
fellow monastic alchemists poisoned themselves by working with antimony; antimonium is found two centuries before his
time. "Popular etymology" from OED; as for antimonos, the pure negative would be more naturally expressed by
a- "not". .
- ^ Lippman, p.643-5
- ^ Lippman, p.642, writing in 1919, says "zuerst".
- ^ Meyerhof as quoted in Sarton, p.541, asserts that ithmid or
athmoud became corrupted in the medieval "traductions barbaro-latines".; the OED asserts that some Arabic form is
the origin, and if ithmid is the root, posits athimodium, atimodium, atimonium, as intermediate forms.
- ^ Endlich, p.28; one of the advantages of as-stimmi would be that it
has a whole syllable in common with antimonium.
- ^ Priesner and Figala
- ^ Kirk-Othmer, entry "Antimony"
- ^ The fragment was presented in a lecture in 1892. One contemporary
commented, "we only know of antimony at the present day as a highly brittle and crystaline metal, which could hardly be fashioned
into a useful vase, and therefore this remarkable 'find' must represent the lost art of rendering antimony malleable." Moorey
1994:241
- ^ H. Wakayama, Table 2, p. 84
- ^ Shotyk et al., 2006
Bibliography
- W. F. Albright "Notes on Egypto-Semitic Etymology. II", The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures,
Vol. 34, No. 4. (Jul., 1918), pp. 215-255. JSTOR link. esp p.230
- Endlich, F.M. "On Some Interesting Derivations of Mineral Names", The American Naturalist, Vol. 22, No. 253. (Jan.,
1888), pp. 21-32. JSTOR link. p.28
- Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 5th ed. 2004. Entry for antimony.
- Lippmann, E O von [Edmund Oscar]. 1919. Entstehung und Ausbreitung der
Alchemie, teil 1. Berlin: Julius Springer. In German.
- Moorey, PRS. 1994. Ancient Mesopotamian Materials and Industries: the Archaeological Evidence. New York: Clarendon
Press.
- Priesner, Claus and Figala, Karin, eds. 1998. Alchemie. Lexikon einer hermetischen Wissenschaft. München: C.H. Beck. 412 p.
In German.
- Sarton, George. 1935. Review of Al-morchid fi'l-kohhl, ou Le guide d'oculistique, translated by
Max Meyerhof. Isis (Feb. 1935), 22(2):539-542 (The journal Isis is in the
JSTOR archive.) In French.
- Shotyk, William; Krachler, Michael; Chen, Bin. Contamination of Canadian and European bottled waters with antimony from PET containers
J. Environ. Monit 2006, 8:288-292 DOI: 10.1039/b517844b
- Los Alamos National Laboratory –
Antimony
- Public Health Statement for
Antimony
- Wakayama, Hiroshi, "Revision of Drinking Water Standards in Japan", Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (Japan), 2003
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
