Antimony is a chemical element with the symbol Sb (Latin: stibium, meaning "mark") and atomic number 51. A metalloid, antimony has four allotropic forms. The stable form of antimony is a blue-white metalloid. Yellow and black antimony are unstable non-metals. Antimony is used in flame-proofing, paints, ceramics, enamels, a wide variety of alloys, electronics, and rubber.
Antimony in its elemental form is a silvery white, brittle, fusible, crystalline solid that exhibits poor electrical and heat conductivity properties and vaporizes at low temperatures. A metalloid, antimony resembles a metal in its appearance and in many of its physical properties, but does not chemically react as a metal. It is also attacked by oxidizing acids and halogens. Antimony and some of its alloys are unusual in that they expand on cooling. Antimony is geochemically categorized as a chalcophile, occurring with sulfur and the heavy metals lead, copper, and silver.
Estimates of the abundance of antimony in the Earth's crust range from 0.2 to 0.5 ppm.
| Technical Data | ||||||||
| Symbol | Sb | Density (25°C)/gcm-3 | 6.691 | |||||
| Atomic number | 51 | Melting point / °C | 630.74 | |||||
| Atomic weight | 121.75 | Boiling point / °C | 1587 | |||||
| Electronic configuration | [Kr] 4d105s25p3 | rcov(MIII single bond)/pm | 140 | |||||
| Ionization energy/MJmol-1 I | 0.834 | rionic(6-coordinate)(MIII)/pm | 76 | |||||
| II | 1.595 | (6-coordinate)(Mv)/pm | 60 | |||||
| III | 2.443 | Hardness (Mohs) | 3.35 | |||||
| Sum (I+II+III)/MJmof-1 | 4.872 | Electrical resistivity (20°C)/μohm cm | 41.7 | |||||
| Sum (IV+V)/MJmof -1 | 9.636 | Contraction on freezing/% | 0.8 | |||||
| Electronegativity χ | 1.9 | |||||||
| Evaporation Techniques | ||||||||
| Temperature (oC) @Vap. Pressure | Techniques | Remarks | ||||||
| 10-8 Torr | 10-6 Torr | 10-4 Torr | Electron Beam | Crucible | Coil | Boat | ||
| 279 Sublimes | 345 Sublimes | 425 Sublimes | Poor | BN, Graphite & Al2O3 | Molybdenum & Tantalum | Molybdenum, Tantalum coated with Al2O3 | Toxic, evaporates well. Film structure is rate dependent. Go to Evaporation Sources Page | |