Antimony is classified as a critical/strategic metal. Its primary production is predominated by China via pyrometallurgical routes such as volatilization roasting—reduction smelting or direct reduction smelting.
Properties/Characteristics | Value | Unit | |
---|---|---|---|
PbO (wt%) | |||
<0.25 | |||
>0.25 and <0.3 | ≥0.3 and <2.5 | ||
As2O3 (wt%) | <0.1 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
Other impurities (wt%) | <1.75 | ≤2.6 | ≤0.4 |
Atomic number | 51 | N/A | |
Atomic weight | 121.76 | u | |
Melting point | 630.5 | °C | |
Boiling point (at 101.3 kPa) | 1325 | °C | |
Density (at 20 °C) | 6.688 | g/cm |
Mineral | Chemical Formula | Sb (wt%) |
---|
Element/ Compound |
Sb | Sb2S3 | Sb2O3 | Sb2S5 | Sb2O5 | Sb2O4 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sulfides | ||||||
Name(s) | Stibnite |
|
71.7 | |||
|
|
Country | Mine Product. (t) [21] |
Reserves (×1000 t) [21] | Main Producers [4] | Product [4] | Total Production Capacity (×1000 t/y Sb) [4] | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
USA | NA | 60 | Amspec Chemical Corporation Laurel Industries Inc. Great Lakes Chemical (Anzon) United States Antimony Corporation Sunshine Mining and Refining |
|
Trioxide Trioxide Trioxide Metal, Trioxide, Na-antimonate Metal, Na-antimonate
|
15 12.5 6 1.5 1.5 |
|
||||||
Tetrahedrite | |||||||||||||
Cu | Melting point | 6Sb2S6 | 29.8 | ||||||||||
630 °C | |||||||||||||
Australia | 3400 | 546–548 °C | 656 °C | 120–170 °C (decomposes to Sb | 100 | 2 | S3 and S) | 380 °C (decomposes) | 930 °C (decomposes to ATO and oxygen) |
||||
Jamesonite | Pb4FeSb6S14 | 35.4 | |||||||||||
Zinckenite | PbSb2S4 | 42.1 | 3 | ||||||||||
Boiling point | 1635 °C | 1000–1150 °C | 1425 °C (sublimes) | N/A | N/A | N/A | Oxides | Senarmontite (cubic) | Sb2O3 | 83.5 | Tensile strength | 10.8 | N/mm |
Valentinite (rhombohedral) | 2 | ||||||||||||
Sb | 2O3 | 83.5 | Mohs hardness | 3.0-3.5 | N/A | ||||||||
Cervantite (orthorhombic) | Sb2O4/Sb2O3⋅Sb2O5 | 79.2 | Modulus of elasticity | 566 | N/mm2 | ||||||||
Stibiconite (antimony hydroxides) | Sb2O4⋅H2O | 74.8 | Surface tension of solid (at 432 °C) | 317.2 | mN/m | ||||||||
Mixed | Kermesite | 2Sb2S3⋅Sb2O3 | 83.5 | Surface tension of liquid (at 1200 °C) | 255 | mN/m | |||||||
Crystal structure | Rhombohedral | N/A | |||||||||||
Lattice constant | a = 0.437, c = 1.1273 | nm | |||||||||||
Latent heat of fusion | 10.49 | kJ/mol | |||||||||||
Latent heat of evaporation | 195.10 | kJ/mol | |||||||||||
Coefficient of linear expansion (at 20 °C) | 8-11 | µm/m-°C | |||||||||||
Electrical resistivity (at 0 °C) | 37 | µΩ.cm | |||||||||||
Molar heat capacity of solid (at 630.5 °C) | 30.446 | J/mol-K | |||||||||||
Molar heat capacity of liquid (at 630.5 °C) | 31.401 | J/mol-K | |||||||||||
Thermal conductivity (at 0 °C) | 25.9 | W/m-K |
Physical Form | Powder | ||
Particle size (µm) | 0.2–44 | ||
Constituents | Low PbO | Medium PbO | High PbO |
Sb2O3 (wt%) | >98 | >97.1 and ≤99.6 | >97 and ≤99.6 |
Bolivia | |||||
2700 | 310 | Enal | Trioxide | 9.3 | |
Burma | 2000 | 140 | |||
Canada | 2 | 78 | |||
China | 60,000 | 480 | Hsikwangshan Mining Administration Dachang Mining Administration Guzhou Dushan Dongfeng Hubei Chongyang Hunan Chenzhou Mining Co, Ltd., Guangxi China Tin Group Limited Yunnan Muli antimony industry Co., Ltd. Xikuangshan Flash-Antimony Industry Limited |
Metal, Oxides, Na-antimonate Metal Metal, Trioxide Metal, Trioxide N/A N/A N/A Metal [25] |
30 N/A 10 4 4 N/A N/A N/A 40 |
Guatemala | 80 | NA | |||
Iran | 400 | NA | |||
Kazakhstan | 100 | NA | |||
Kyrgyzstan | NA | 260 | Kadamjaisk Antimony Combine | Metal, Trioxide | 20 |
Mexico | 700 | 18 | |||
Pakistan | 20 | 26 | |||
Russia (Recoverable) | 25,000 | 350 | |||
Tajikistan | 13,000 | 50 | |||
Turkey | 1300 | 100 | |||
Vietnam | 400 | NA | |||
France | NA | Société Industrielle et Chimique de L’Aisne Mines de la Lucette AMG antimony [26] |
Metal, Trioxide Metal Trioxide |
12 9.5 10 |
|
Belgium | NA | Campine Union Minière/Umicore [5] |
Trioxide Na-antimonate |
10 6 |
|
Oman | Strategic and Precious Metals Processing (SPMP) | Metal, Trioxide | 20 [27] | ||
World Total (Rounded) | 110,000 | >2000 |