- 🇬🇧 Antimony
- 🇺🇦 Сурма
- 🇨🇳 銻
- 🇳🇱 Antimoon
- 🇫🇷 Antimoine
- 🇩🇪 Antimon
- 🇮🇱 אנטימון
- 🇮🇹 Antimonio
- 🇯🇵 アンチモン
- 🇵🇹 Antimônio
- 🇪🇸 Antimonio
- 🇸🇪 Antimon
- 🇷🇺 Сурьма
- Name: antimony
- Symbol: Sb
- Atomic number: 51
- Relative atomic mass (Ar): 121.760 (1) g [see note g]
- Standard state: solid at 298 K
- Appearance: silvery lustrous grey
- Classification: Semi-metallic
- Group in periodic table: 15
- Group name: Pnictogen
- Period in periodic table: 5
- Block in periodic table: p
- Shell structure: 2.8.18.18.5
- CAS Registry: 7440-36-0
Antimony atoms have 51 electrons and the shell structure is 2.8.18.18.5. The ground state electronic configuration of neutral antimony is [Kr].4d10.5s2.5p3 and the term symbol of antimony is 4S3/2.
Antimony: description
Metallic antimony is an extremely brittle metal of a flaky, crystalline texture. It is bluish white and has a metallic lustre. It is not acted on by air at room temperature, but burns brilliantly when heated with the formation of white fumes. It is a poor conductor of heat and electricity.
Antimony and its compounds are toxic. It is found mostly with other minerals and in stibnite.
antimony
Image adapted with permission from Prof James Marshall's (U. North Texas, USA) Walking Tour of the elements CD.
Science and Ink cartoon for antimony
Cartoon by Nick D Kim ([Science and Ink], used by permission).
Antimony: physical properties
- Density of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Density of solid: 6697 kg m-3
- Molar volume of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Molar volume: 18.19 cm3
- Thermal conductivity of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Thermal conductivity: 24 W m‑1 K‑1
Antimony: heat properties
- Melting point on a miniature periodic table spark table Melting point: 903.78 [630.63 °C (1167.13 °F)] K
- Boiling point on a miniature periodic table spark table Boiling point: 1860 [1587 °C (2889 °F)] K
- Enthalpy of fusion on a miniature periodic table spark table Enthalpy of fusion: 20.5 kJ mol-1
Antimony: atom sizes
- Atomic radius (empirical) of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Atomic radius (empirical): 145 pm
- Covalent (single bond) radius on a periodic table spark table Molecular single bond covalent radius: 140 (coordination number 3) ppm
- van der Waals radius on a periodic table spark table van der Waals radius: 247 ppm
Antimony: electronegativities
- Pauling electronegativity of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Pauling electronegativity: 2.05 (Pauling units)
- Allred-Rochow electronegativity of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark tableAllred Rochow electronegativity: 1.82 (Pauling units)
- Mulliken-Jaffe electronegativity of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark tableMulliken-Jaffe electronegativity: 2.12 (20% s orbital)
Antimony: orbital properties
- First ionization energy the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table First ionisation energy: 830.58 kJ mol‑1
- Second ionization energy the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Second ionisation energy: 1604.2 kJ mol‑1
- Third ionization energy the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Third ionisation energy: 2443.35 kJ mol‑1
Antimony: abundances
- Chemical elements abundance by weight in the universe on a miniature periodic table spark tableUniverse: 0.4 ppb by weight
- Chemical elements abundance by weight in the earth's crust on a miniature periodic table spark tableCrustal rocks: 200 ppb by weight
- Chemical elements abundance by weight in humans on a miniature periodic table spark tableHuman: (no data) ppb by weight
Antimony: crystal structure
Antimony: biological data
- Human abundance by weight of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Human abundance by weight: (no data) ppb by weight
Antimony has no biological role. In small doses it is said to stimulate the metabolism.
Antimony: uses
Antimony: reactions
Reactions of antimony as the element with air, water, halogens, acids, and bases where known.
Antimony: binary compounds
Binary compounds with halogens (known as halides), oxygen (known as oxides), hydrogen (known as hydrides), and other compounds of antimony where known.
Antimony: compound properties
Bond strengths; lattice energies of antimony halides, hydrides, oxides (where known); and reduction potentials where known.
Antimony: history
Antimony was discovered by Known since ancient times in unknown at not known. Origin of name: from the Greek words "anti + monos" meaning "not alone" (the origin of the symbol Sb comes from the Latin word "stibium").Antimony: isotopes
The two Antimony isotopes are used for the production of medical radioisotopes. Sb-121 can be used for the production of I-124, although this medical radioisotope is usually produced via Te-124. Sb-121 and Sb-123 can both be used for the production of I-123, although the most common production route is via Xe-124 or Te-123.
Antimony: isolation
Isolation: it is not usually necessary to make antimony in the laboratory as it is commercially available. Antimony is found in nature in a number of minerals including stibnite (Sb2S3) and ullmanite (NiSbS). Small amounts of native antimony have been found. Some ores are treatable under reducing conditions to form Sb2S3. The sulphide is removed to leave elemental antimony with scrap iron.
Sb2S3 + 3Fe → 2Sb + 3FeS
In antehr process, some ores can be heated to evolve the oxide Sb2O3 and this in turn can be reduced by charcoal in the presence of sodium sulphate, to ensure mixing, to form elemental antimony.
2Sb2O3 +3C → 4Sb + 3CO2