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| Antimony
was named from the Arabic, al-uthmud, to the
Medieval Latin, antimonium.
This name was originally applied to Stibnite, the sulfide of Antimony. The etymology is somewhat
uncertain, see below for more information.
| Discovered
in ancient times;
IMA
status:
Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered) |
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Chemistry
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Chemical
Formula: |
Sb
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Antimony
(native element) |
Molecular
Weight: |
121.75 gm |
Composition: |
Antimony |
100.00 % |
Sb |
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100.00 % |
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Classification
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Mineral
Classification: |
Elements
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Strunz 8th
Ed. ID:
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1/B.01-30
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Nickel-Strunz 10th
Ed. ID:
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1.CA.05
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1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
C : Metalloids and Nonmetals A : Arsenic group elements
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Related
to: |
Arsenic
Group. Antimony-Arsenic Series.
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Members
of Group: |
Arsenic
Group: Antimony, Arsenic, Bismuth
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Varieties: |
Bismuthian Antimony
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Synonyms: |
Native
Antimony,
ICSD 64695, PDF 35-732
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Crystal
Data
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Crystallography:
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Trigonal - Hexagonal Scalenohedral
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Crystal
Habit:
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Prominent
{0112} yields pseudocubic crystals, to 1 cm; also rounded
and hoppered; commonly massive or cleavable lamellar,
also radiated; may be botryoidal or reniform with granular
texture.
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Twinning:
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On
{0114}, commonly forming complex groups, fourlings,
sixlings; also polysynthetic twins.
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Physical
Properties
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Cleavage: |
Perfect
on {0001}, distinct on {1011}, imperfect on {1014},
indistinct on {1120}.
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Fracture: |
Irregular/Uneven
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Tenacity:
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Brittle
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Moh's
Hardness: |
3.0
- 3.5; (Vickers:
VHN100=50 - 69 kg/mm2)
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Density:
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6.61
- 6.71 (g/cm3)
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Luminescence:
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None
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Radioactivity:
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Not
Radioactive
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Optical
Properties
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Color: |
Tin-white,
light gray to a steel gray which can tarnish to darker grays
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Transparency: |
Opaque
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Luster: |
Metallic
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Refractive
Index: |
R1–R2:
(400) 71.6–74.1, (420) 72.3–75.1, (440) 72.9–75.8, (460)
73.6–76.6, (480) 74.2–77.3, (500) 74.6–77.8, (520) 74.7–77.9,
(540) 74.5–78.0, (560) 74.0–77.7, (580) 73.3–77.1, (600)
72.3–76.6, (620) 71.4–76.0, (640) 70.3–75.3, (660) 69.2–74.8,
(680) 68.4–74.4, (700) 67.7–74.2
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Birefringence: |
0.00
(opaque)
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Dispersion: |
n/a |
Pleochroism: |
Very
feeble |
Anisotropism: |
Weak
in air, lively in oil
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Occurances
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Geological
Setting: |
In
hydrothermal Sb–Ag veins.
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Common
Associations: |
Silver,
Stibnite, Allemontite, Sphalerite, Pyrite, Galena, Quartz
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Common
Impurities: |
As
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Type
Locality: |
Sala Silver Mine, Sala, Västmanland, Sweden
(mondern times). Known in ancient Egypt as early as
3100 BC. |
Year
Discovered: |
Discovered
in ancient times. Known in ancient Egypt as early as
3100 BC. |
View
mineral photos: |
Antimony
Mineral Photos and Locations |
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More
Information
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Mindat.org
Webmineral.com
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Antimony
belongs to the Arsenic Group of minerals
that includes Antimony,
Arsenic and
Bismuth. Antimony is a native
element.
Native element minerals are elements that occur in nature
uncombined with other elements and with a distinct
mineral structure. A native element is a pure chemical substance consisting
of a single type of atom. Antimony has only antimony
(Sb) atoms as opposed to a mineral such as Quartz that has two types
of atoms; silicon (Si) and oxygen (O) or other more
complex minerals that contain many types of atoms.
Elements are divided into metals, metalloids and nonmetals.
Antimony is a metalloid which means it is
an element that has properties between the typical metals
and nonmetals. The six commonly recognised metalloids are antimony,
arsenic, boron, germanium, silicon and tellurium. Elements less commonly recognised as metalloids include aluminium, astatine,
carbon, polonium and selenium.
Antimony rarely
forms in its elemental state and is far more common in
sulfides and sulfosalts such as
Bournonite,
Jamesonite,
Stibnite,
Tetrahedrite
and Boulangerite.
It is also found in some oxides
such as Valentinite,
Stibiconite and
Sénarmontite.
Antimony compounds have been known since ancient times and were used for
cosmetics in ancient Egypt. Metallic Antimony was also known but it was erroneously
identified as lead. It was first isolated and described in 1540 by Vannoccio Biringuccio.
The largest uses for metallic Antimony are as an alloying
material for lead and tin and for lead antimony plates
in lead-acid batteries. Alloying lead and tin with Antimony
improves the properties of the alloys wich are used
in bullets, solders and bearings. Antimony is now also
being used in microelectronics.
The
modern day type locality for Antimony is listed as Sala Silver Mine, Sala, Västmanland, Sweden
but Antimony was known
in ancient Egypt as early as 3100 BC. Antimony
was named from the Arabic, al-uthmud, which
became the Medieval Latin, antimonium; which
was originally applied to Stibnite, the sulfide of Antimony. The etymology is somewhat
uncertain. One path of the name origin is that antimonium
came from avτίμοναχός, or anti-monachos, meaning
"anti monks", literally "monk-killer"
because early alchemists were often monks and that Antimony
is poisonous. Another popular etymology possibility
is the Greek
word antimonos meaning "against aloneness"
which could mean "not found unalloyed" in
allusion to the fact that Antimony is rarely found in
its elemental state.
There
are numerous localities for Antimony: In the USA,
from South Riverside, Riverside County; in kg masses
from Erskine Creek, Kern County, California. From Príbram,
Czech Republic. At St. Andreasberg, Harz Mountains,
Germany. In France, from Allemont, Isère. At
Sarrabus, Sardinia, Italy. From Sala, Västmanland,
and in the Vena mines, near Askersund, Örebro,
Sweden. At Kalliolampi, Nurmo, and near Seinajöki,
Finland. At Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia.
From Huasco, Tarapacá, Chile. In Canada, at South
Ham, Wolfe County, Quebec. At Arechuybo, Chihuahua,
Mexico.
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