ANTIMONY

Antimony Primer - Download

Antimony World - 2013 - Website

Antimony (Sb) is classified as a minor metal, growing in strategic importance. Over 90% of supplies of antimony metal come from China. The European Union, the United States of America and Japanese economies are import dependent on the metal. The main use for antimony nowadays is as a tri-oxide additive in the chemical and plastics industry as a “synthesizer” for flame retardant compounds, the use of which is driven by regulatory Health and Safety standards

Click here for a visual infographic which was put together for your perusing pleasure

General Uses

Antimony metal is used as an alloy hardener as well as in metallurgical applications. Antimony metal is also the raw material of antimony oxide.

Antimony Trioxide is primarily used as a fire retardant in plastic insulations as well as electronic devices and household appliances. Sb2O3 can be used as a filling agent for various rubber, ceramic and fibre products and as a pigment in oil paints and as a catalytic agent in organic synthesis.

Antimony acetate is primarily used as catalyst for poly-condensation of polyester. Antimony acetate improves the poly-condensation time, especially in continuous processes and significantly reduces impurity levels in PET resin

Antimony metal is used as an alloy hardener as well as in metallurgical applications. Antimony metal is also the raw material of antimony oxide
 

Specialist Uses and Technological Advances

Liquid Metal Battery

Watch this ted talk about antimony

Sadoway "The missing link to renewable energy" - Video

MIT Liquid Metal Batteries

 The MIT report - Download

Chemical Reviews

The evolution of the liquid metal battery is a story of a novel technology originally conceived in a different economic and political climate to provide flexibility in addressing the constraints of a society just entering the nuclear age and with aspirations to electrify the everyday experience. Ironically, it is these same massive research projects that receded into obscurity that can now be resurrected and reinvented as an exciting opportunity for addressing society’s ambitions for both sustainable and environmentally benign energy. In contrast to the public’s demand for the constant improvement of high-performance lithium-ion batteries for portable electronics (Chalamala, B. R, 2007), liquid metal batteries are instead the story of a society catching up with a technology far ahead of its time. To read on follow the link:

Liquid Metal Batteries: Past, Present, and Future - Download

References:

(1) Chalamala, B. R. Proc. IEEE 2007, 95, 2106.

GroupSadoway Extreme electrochemistry

Novel Solar Cell

 Scientists from the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have proposed a novel triple-junction solar cell with the potential to break the 50 per cent conversion efficiency barrier.

Read more

INFOGRAPHIC

Visual Capitalist has put together a beautiful infographic for antmony.

Graphic

ANTIMONY CONSUMPTION

According to the USGS, in 2008, some 40% of the antimony consumed in the U.S. was used in fire retardants. The remainder was accounted for thusly: transportation, including batteries, 22%; chemicals, 14%; ceramics and glass, 11%: and, others, 13%

Dr Sadoway presentation from MIT

http://www.ted.com/talks/donald_sadoway_the_missing_link_to_renewable_energy.html

Antimony compound usage is diverse in industry as a trioxide Recycling of tri-oxides is not possible Annual demand has been rising 4%-5%pa range for tri-oxide Antimonal lead is still commonly used in car batteries

ANTIMONY PRICES

The European Union have identified antimony as a critical raw material. The USA and Japan are also almost entirely import dependent on antimony and do not have strategic stockpiles

Prices have risen due to shortages from China. European delivery prices are nearer U$15,000 per tonne at present Tri-oxide prices usually trade at a 15% - 18% premium to metal content

ANTIMONY AS A STRATEGIC METAL

Antimony prices have risen due to shortages from China.  European delivery prices are nearer US$14,000 per tonne currently.

The EU has identified antimony as a critical raw material, whilst the US and Japan are also entirely import dependent on antimony and do not have any strategic stockpile.

Antimony prices remain firm and, are seen to hold in a 13-18 000 $/t range subject to worldwide industrial activity by industry specialists

The British Geological Society listed antimony in 1st place on its 2011 risk list, looking at the current supply risk index for chemical elements.
 

ANTIMONY SUPPLY & DEMAND

Please visit antimonyworld.com for a world view of past and present producers and suppliers of Antimony.

Information based on Roskill report 2012

In the next 10 years the Chinese are expected to move from a net exporter of Antimony to a net importer.

ANTIMONY MARKET

Supply is dominated by China, accounting for over 90% of world metal production over the past decade. China maintains export quotas on antimony and its compounds such as antimony tri-oxide.

Minerals                                                 2010              2011              2012

Tungsten and products                        14,300              15,700            15,400
Tin and products                                    21,000              18,900            18,000
Antimony and products                         57,500              60,300             59,400*
Molybdenum                                           25,500               25,500            25,000
Indium                                                      233                    233                  231
Alumina                                                    930,000           830,000             -
Silver                                                         5,100                5,670               5,387
Phosphate Rock                                    1,500,000        1,500,000           -
Pulvis Talci                                              610,000            680,000             -
SiC                                                            216,000            216,000             -

Calcined and electrofused magnesite    1,330,000        1,230,000          -

Worldwide known reserves are be 2.1m tonne of metal (11 years consumption) (USGS) China has the majority of known metal reserves.
Antimony (Sb –stibnite) is a very scarce mineral