Antimony Metals

Antimony

William Rowland are key suppliers of antimony metals across the UK, producing pure antimony powder made from ingot material and crushed via our in house crushing system.

Antimony is a bluish white metal, brittle and flaky in structure. Antimony is used in the manufacture of alloys. It does not tarnish in dry air and tarnishes slowly in moist air.

Antimony powder is often bought with bismuth alloys to mix into sheets for radiation shielding.

What is antimony?

Antimony is a chemical element belonging to a group of metalloids, which are elements that exhibit properties of both metals and nonmetals. Antimony has a bluish-white colour and a brittle texture. It is commonly found in nature in the form of sulphide minerals, such as stibnite.

Antimony has historically been used for various purposes due to its unique properties. It is employed in alloys, particularly with lead, to make batteries, ammunition, and pewter. Antimony compounds have been used in flame retardants, ceramics, glass, and pigments. In the past, it was also used in medicines, although its toxicity limited its medical applications.

Antimony has a number of interesting properties. It is a poor conductor of heat and electricity, and it expands upon solidification, making it useful in certain types of alloys. It is also highly resistant to attack by acids. However, antimony and its compounds are considered toxic, and prolonged exposure or ingestion can be harmful to human health.

In modern times, the applications of antimony have become more specialised. It is still used in some alloys, but its use in consumer products has decreased due to health concerns. Today, antimony finds applications mainly in the production of flame retardants, as well as in the semiconductor industry for certain electronic components.

What metals contain antimony?

Antimony is not typically found in its pure form in nature, but it is commonly found as a component of certain minerals and ores. The primary source of antimony is the mineral stibnite, which is composed of antimony sulphide (Sb2S3). However, antimony can also be found in small quantities in other minerals and ores.

 

Antimony is often associated with other metals and is commonly found in ores that contain other elements. Some of the metals that can be found in association with antimony include:

• Lead: Antimony is frequently found in combination with lead in ore deposits. It forms various lead-antimony minerals and can be present in lead ores, such as galena (lead sulphide).

• Zinc: Antimony can also occur together with zinc in certain mineral deposits. For example, in some zinc ores, antimony can be found as a minor impurity.

• Copper: Although less common, antimony can be found in copper ores as a minor component. Copper-antimony minerals may be present in certain copper deposits.

• Gold: Antimony can sometimes be found in gold-bearing ores, particularly in association with stibnite. This occurrence is less common but has been observed in some gold deposits.

 

The presence and concentration of antimony in these metals can vary widely depending on the specific mineral deposit, and the extraction of antimony from these ores typically involves separate processes to isolate antimony from the other metals present.