Antimony

Sb from the Latin stibium stands for antimony, a chemical element with the atomic number 51. It is a glossy grey metalloid that is mostly present in nature as the sulphide mineral stibnite Sb2S3. Antimony compounds have been used as medicines and cosmetics since ancient times. They are frequently referred to by the Arabic word kohl. The majority of China's output of antimony and its compounds comes from the Xikuangshan Mine in Hunan. Roasting stibnite and then reducing it with carbon or reducing stibnite directly with iron are the industrial processes for removing antimony from the mineral. Metallic antimony is most commonly used in alloys with lead and tin that offer better characteristics for solders, bullets, and plain bearings. It makes lead alloy more stiff. It increases the lead-alloy plates' stiffness in lead-acid batteries. A common component for flame retardants made of halogens is antimony trioxide. In semiconductors, antimony is employed as a dopant.