Antimony

Antimony is widely used as an alloy with lead and other metals to make them harder and stronger.   The lead alloy is used in batteries, and the alloy of tin, copper, and antimony, called Babbitt metal, is used for machine bearings because of its wearability and smooth, lubricating features.   Because antimony expands when solidifying to fill minute spaces, the tin-lead alloy makes sharp, intricate designs in lead tableware, called pewter, and printer's type.   Antifriction alloys, cable sheeting and semiconductors also use antimony alloys.   As oxides, sulfides and other compounds, antimony is used for flame-proofing, paints, ceramics, glass, and pottery. ^{Lide 4-4}

Antimony compounds were known in ancient times, but the metal was identified only at the beginning of the 17th century and maybe earlier.   A common antimony ore is stibnite, Sb₂S₃, but it is found in many other ores too.   It is extracted from stibnite by roasting it to an oxide and then reduced to a metal with salt and scrap iron.   It is separated from the oxides by reduction with carbon. ^{Lide 4-4}