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Antimony

121.760(1)

Name: Antimony
Symbol: Sb
Atomic number: 51
Atomic weight: 121.760(1)
CAS Registry ID: 7440-36-0

Group name: Pnictogen
Period number: 5
Block: p-block
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Description

Antimony is a metalloid with a shiny silver grey color in its natural solid state. It is a crystalline solid, and as a metalloid it has poor heat and electrical conductivity traits. Antimony has an atomic mass of 121.760, a melting point of 1167.13 °F, and a boiling point of 2889 °F. The main use of antimony is as a hardener added to lead for storage batteries; antimony is also used in matches, plumbing, soldering, and as a semiconductor for diode production.

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Isolation

Antimony does occur freely in nature, but not in large enough amounts to satisfy commercial needs. Isolation procedures are used to extract antimony from mineral ore.

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Antimony occurs in over 100 types of minerals. The mineral stibnite, or antimonite, is the mineral that is used most often for antimony isolation; it is a sulfide mineral composed of antimony and hydrogen sulfide. Antimony can be separated from antimonite through two processes. In the first process, antimonite is reacted with pure iron on a one to three basis; the result of the reaction forms pure antimony and iron sulfide. The second separation process of antimony uses charcoal to extract antimony from the hydrogen sulfide. In this reaction, antimonite and charcoal combined with sodium sulfate are heated resulting in a reduction reaction; the sodium sulfate is necessary to completely mix the antimonite with the charcoal. Pure antimony and carbon monoxide are produced from this reaction. Pure antimony and its compounds are toxic; the toxicity of antimony is so severe that it can even mimic arsenic and so it must be handled with caution.

General
Name	Antimony
Symbol	Sb
Number	51
Chemical series	metalloids
Group	15
Period	5
Block	p
Appearance	silvery lustrous gray
Standard atomic weight	121.760(1) g·mol−1
Electron configuration	[Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p3
Electrons per shell	2, 8, 18, 18, 5

Atomic properties
Crystal structure	rhombohedral
Oxidation states	−3, 3, 5
Electronegativity	2.05 (scale Pauling)
Ionization energies	1st: 834 kJ·mol−1
(more)	2nd: 1594.9 kJ·mol−1
(more)	3rd: 2440 kJ·mol−1
Atomic radius	145 pm
Atomic radius (calc.)	133 pm
Covalent radius	138 pm
Van der Waals radius

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)
Critical point
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

Miscellaneous
Magnetic ordering
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
Poisson ratio
Mohs hardness	3.0
Vickers hardness
Brinell hardness	294 MPa
CAS registry number	7440-36-0

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Antimony

Description

Isolation

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