The natural sulfide of antimony was known and used in Biblical times as medicine and as a cosmetic. It is not an abundant welltrient, but is found in over 100 mineral species, sometimes found natively, but more frequently it is found as the sulfide stibnite. •
An Antimony / potassium tartrate is still used as a treatment for blood flukes (schistosomiasis or Biharziasis). Antimony potassium tartrate (tartar emetic) is used as a preferred treatment for blood flukes (schistosomiasis or Bilharziasis).
Atomic Number:
51
Atomic Radius:
142 pm
Atomic Symbol:
Sb
Melting Point:
630.63 ºC
Atomic Weight:
121.75
Boiling Point:
1587 ºC
Electron Configuration:
[Kr]5s24d105p3
Oxidation States:
5, 3, -3
History: We obtain antimony mainly from food and water, with some from the air. Smith (1967) was one of the first to use neutron activation to examine a range of human organs and found antimony present in all of them.
Technicals: Name Origin from Greek: anti (opposed) monos (solitude)
Estimates of the abundance in the Earth's crust range from 0.2 to 0.5 parts per million. Antimony is chalcophile, occurring with sulfur and the heavy metals, lead, copper, and silver. Over a hundred minerals of antimony are found in nature. Stibnite (Sb2S3) is the predominant ore mineral of antimony.
Caution: Native antimony is nearly indistinguishable from native arsenic. The garlic odor sometimes present on arsenic specimens is not a characteristic of antimony and antimony does not tarnish as quickly or as severely as arsenic.
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