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The mineralogy of Antimony

General Properties
Symbol:	Sb
Commodity pages:	Antimony
Atomic Number:	51
Standard atomic weight (A_r):	121.760(1)
Electron configuration:	[Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p³

Photos

<	Ultrapure metallic antimony piece, front side	>

Atomic Properties
Electronegativity (Pauling scale):	2.05
Atomic Radius:	133 pm
Ionic Radius:	76 pm (+3)
1st Ionization energy:	834 kJ/mol
1st Electron affinity:	-103 kJ/mol
Oxidation States:	-3,3,5

Physical Properties
Standard State:	solid
Bonding Type:	metallic
Melting Point:	904 K
Boiling Point:	1860 K
Density:	6.7 g/cm³
Metal/Non-Metal:	metalloid

Main isotopes of Antimony
Isotope	% in Nature	Half Life	Decay type	Decay product
¹²¹Sb	57.36%	-	Spontaneous fission ?
¹²³Sb	42.64%	-	Spontaneous fission ?
¹²⁵Sb	synthetic	2.7582y	β−	¹²⁵Te

Main ions of Antimony
Name	Ion	Example minerals
antimony(III)	Sb³⁺
antimony(V)	Sb⁵⁺
antimonide	Sb^3-

Other Information
Year Discovered:	3000 BC
Year Isolated:	1540
Isolated By:	Vannoccio Biringuccio
Named For:	Greek: anti (opposed) and monos (solitude) - "not alone"
CPK color coding:	#9E63B5
External Links:	Wikipedia WebElements Los Alamos National Laboratory Theodore Gray's PeriodicTable.com

Simple Compounds and Mineral Names
Nitrides	antimony nitride	SbN	+3
Sulfides	diantimony trisulphide	Sb₂S₃	+3	Metastibnite, Stibnite
Sulfides	diantimony pentsulphide	Sb₂S₅	+5
Selenides	diantimony triselenide	Sb₂Se₃	+3	Antimonselite
Tellurides	diantimony tritelluride	Sb₂Te₃	+3	Tellurantimony
Hydrides	antimony trihydride	SbH₃	+3
Fluorides	antimony trifluoride	SbF₃	+3
Fluorides	antimony pentafluoride	SbF₅	+5
Chlorides	antimony trichloride	SbCl₃	+3
Chlorides	antimony pentachloride	SbCl₅	+5
Iodides	antimony triiodide	SbI₃	+3
Iodides	antimony pentaiodide	SbI₅	+5
Oxides	diantimony trioxide	Sb₂O₃	+3	Senarmontite, Valentinite
	diantimony tetroxide	Sb₂O₄	+3,+5	Cervantite, Clinocervantite
	diantimony pentoxide	Sb₂O₅	+5

Mineral Diversity of Antimony
1. Elements	4 valid mineral species
2. Sulfides And Sulfosalts	234 valid mineral species
3. Halides	4 valid mineral species
4. Oxides	60 valid mineral species
6. Borates	2 valid mineral species
7. Sulfates	7 valid mineral species
8. Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates	8 valid mineral species
9. Silicates	7 valid mineral species
Total:	326 valid species containing essential Antimony

Minerals with the greatest weight % of Antimony
Native Antimony	Sb	100.00 %
Paradocrasite	Sb₂(Sb,As)₂	100.00 %
Kieftite	CoSb₃	86.11 %
Senarmontite	Sb₂O₃	83.54 %
Valentinite	Sb₂O₃	83.54 %
Seinäjokite	FeSb₂	81.35 %
Nisbite	NiSb₂	80.58 %
Onoratoite	Sb₈Cl₂O₁₁	79.78 %
Cervantite	Sb³⁺Sb⁵⁺O₄	79.19 %
Clinocervantite	Sb³⁺Sb⁵⁺O₄	79.19 %

Geochemistry of Antimony
Goldschmidt classification:	Chalcophile

Elemental Abundance for Antimony
Crust (CRC Handbook)	2 x 10^-7	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Kaye & Laby)	2 x 10^-7	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Greenwood)	2 x 10^-7	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Ahrens/Taylor)	2.00 x 10^-7	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Ahrens/Wänke)	2.03 x 10^-7	mass fraction, kg/kg
Upper Crust (Ahrens/Taylor)	2.00 x 10^-7	mass fraction, kg/kg
Sea Water (CRC Handbook)	2.4 x 10^-10	mass per volume fraction, kg/L
Sea Water (Kaye & Laby)	3.3 x 10^-10	mass per volume fraction, kg/L
The Sun (Kaye & Laby)	3.0 x 10^-7	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1
Solar System (Kaye & Laby)	3.1 x 10^-7	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1
Solar System (Ahrens)	3.09 x 10^-7 (18%)	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1 (% uncertainty)

Element association of Antimony in the Mineral World
This table compares the known valid mineral species listed listed with Antimony and the other elements listed based on the official IMA formula. Note that unlike other sections on this page this includes non-essential elements. The first data column contains the total number of minerals listed with Antimony and the element listed for that row. The second data column lists this number as a percentage of all minerals listed with Antimony. The final data column compares this percentage against the percentage of all minerals that contain the element listed in each row. Click on a heading to sort.

Element	Valid Minerals listed with element and Antimony	% of Sb minerals	Relative to % in all minerals
Sulfur	219 minerals with Sb and S	61.52%	178.80% higher
Lead	128 minerals with Sb and Pb	35.96%	231.70% higher
Oxygen	107 minerals with Sb and O	30.06%	62.95% lower
Arsenic	103 minerals with Sb and As	28.93%	122.65% higher
Silver	91 minerals with Sb and Ag	25.56%	554.09% higher
Copper	81 minerals with Sb and Cu	22.75%	68.02% higher
Iron	49 minerals with Sb and Fe	13.76%	38.65% lower
Hydrogen	42 minerals with Sb and H	11.80%	78.79% lower
Thallium	38 minerals with Sb and Tl	10.67%	613.68% higher
Manganese	31 minerals with Sb and Mn	8.71%	25.01% lower
Bismuth	24 minerals with Sb and Bi	6.74%	60.61% higher
Mercury	20 minerals with Sb and Hg	5.62%	214.71% higher
Calcium	18 minerals with Sb and Ca	5.06%	79.69% lower
Nickel	18 minerals with Sb and Ni	5.06%	50.43% higher
Zinc	17 minerals with Sb and Zn	4.78%	15.16% lower
Tellurium	17 minerals with Sb and Te	4.78%	34.36% higher
Selenium	14 minerals with Sb and Se	3.93%	47.31% higher
Chlorine	14 minerals with Sb and Cl	3.93%	46.73% lower
Tin	13 minerals with Sb and Sn	3.65%	99.18% higher
Palladium	12 minerals with Sb and Pd	3.37%	138.18% higher
Sodium	11 minerals with Sb and Na	3.09%	83.44% lower
Aluminium	10 minerals with Sb and Al	2.81%	85.88% lower
Magnesium	9 minerals with Sb and Mg	2.53%	81.04% lower
Silicon	8 minerals with Sb and Si	2.25%	91.84% lower
Gold	8 minerals with Sb and Au	2.25%	224.95% higher
Cobalt	6 minerals with Sb and Co	1.69%	36.10% higher
Titanium	5 minerals with Sb and Ti	1.40%	80.02% lower
Vanadium	5 minerals with Sb and V	1.40%	70.79% lower
Potassium	4 minerals with Sb and K	1.12%	88.71% lower
Cadmium	4 minerals with Sb and Cd	1.12%	105.49% higher
Tantalum	4 minerals with Sb and Ta	1.12%	1.60% lower
Boron	3 minerals with Sb and B	0.84%	83.15% lower
Rhodium	3 minerals with Sb and Rh	0.84%	109.60% higher
Platinum	3 minerals with Sb and Pt	0.84%	11.49% higher
Zirconium	2 minerals with Sb and Zr	0.56%	76.71% lower
Beryllium	2 minerals with Sb and Be	0.56%	73.93% lower
Niobium	2 minerals with Sb and Nb	0.56%	81.81% lower
Molybdenum	2 minerals with Sb and Mo	0.56%	64.35% lower
Caesium	2 minerals with Sb and Cs	0.56%	5.86% higher
Iridium	2 minerals with Sb and Ir	0.56%	39.73% higher
Tungsten	2 minerals with Sb and W	0.56%	37.62% lower
Nitrogen	1 mineral with Sb and N	0.28%	88.95% lower
Fluorine	1 mineral with Sb and F	0.28%	96.44% lower
Phosphorus	1 mineral with Sb and P	0.28%	97.71% lower
Chromium	1 mineral with Sb and Cr	0.28%	85.07% lower
Bromine	1 mineral with Sb and Br	0.28%	2.74% higher
Indium	1 mineral with Sb and In	0.28%	2.74% higher

Periodic Table

2He

3Li

4Be

Show/hide current element

Default Categories CPK Electronegativity Atomic Radius Lowest Oxidation Highest Oxidation Crustal Abundance Goldschmidt Mineral Species Minerals with Sb Relative Frequency

Tin << Antimony >> Tellurium

Most widespread minerals containing Antimony
This list of minerals containing Antimony is built from the mindat.org locality database. This is based on the number of localities entered for mineral species and is therefore slanted towards minerals interesting to collectors with less coverage of common rock-forming-minerals so it does not give an undistorted distribution of Antimony mineral species. It is more useful when comparing rare species rather than common species.

Most widespread minerals containing Antimony

This list of minerals containing Antimony is built from the mindat.org locality database. This is based on the number of localities entered for mineral species and is therefore slanted towards minerals interesting to collectors with less coverage of common rock-forming-minerals so it does not give an undistorted distribution of Antimony mineral species. It is more useful when comparing rare species rather than common species.

Name	Formula	Crystal System	Mindat Localities
Stibnite	Sb₂S₃	Orthorhombic	4125
Pyrargyrite	Ag₃SbS₃	Trigonal	1856
Bournonite	PbCuSbS₃	Orthorhombic	1425
Boulangerite	Pb₅Sb₄S₁₁	Monoclinic	1127
Jamesonite	Pb₄FeSb₆S₁₄	Monoclinic	1025
Polybasite	[Ag₆Sb₂S₇][Ag₉CuS₄]	Monoclinic	1007
Stephanite	Ag₅SbS₄	Orthorhombic	802
Bindheimite	Pb₂Sb₂O₆O	Isometric	520
Stibiconite	Sb³⁺Sb⁵⁺₂O₆(OH)	Isometric	519
Native Antimony	Sb	Trigonal	452

Photos
Stibnite, etc. Kremnica Au-Ag deposit, Kremnica, Žiar nad Hronom District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia Pyrargyrite Clara Mine, Oberwolfach, Ortenaukreis, Freiburg Region, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Bournonite Trepča Mine, Trepča complex, Mitrovica, Mitrovica District, Kosovo Boulangerite Dörnberg Mine, Olsberg, Hochsauerlandkreis, Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Stibnite, etc. Kremnica Au-Ag deposit, Kremnica, Žiar nad Hronom District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia Pyrargyrite Clara Mine, Oberwolfach, Ortenaukreis, Freiburg Region, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Bournonite Trepča Mine, Trepča complex, Mitrovica, Mitrovica District, Kosovo Boulangerite Dörnberg Mine, Olsberg, Hochsauerlandkreis, Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Stibnite, etc. Kremnica Au-Ag deposit, Kremnica, Žiar nad Hronom District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia Pyrargyrite Clara Mine, Oberwolfach, Ortenaukreis, Freiburg Region, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Bournonite Trepča Mine, Trepča complex, Mitrovica, Mitrovica District, Kosovo Boulangerite Dörnberg Mine, Olsberg, Hochsauerlandkreis, Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Photos

Stibnite, etc.

Kremnica Au-Ag deposit, Kremnica, Žiar nad Hronom District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia

Pyrargyrite

Clara Mine, Oberwolfach, Ortenaukreis, Freiburg Region, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Bournonite

Trepča Mine, Trepča complex, Mitrovica, Mitrovica District, Kosovo

Boulangerite

Dörnberg Mine, Olsberg, Hochsauerlandkreis, Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Stibnite, etc.

Kremnica Au-Ag deposit, Kremnica, Žiar nad Hronom District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia

Pyrargyrite

Clara Mine, Oberwolfach, Ortenaukreis, Freiburg Region, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Bournonite

Trepča Mine, Trepča complex, Mitrovica, Mitrovica District, Kosovo

Boulangerite

Dörnberg Mine, Olsberg, Hochsauerlandkreis, Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Stibnite, etc.

Kremnica Au-Ag deposit, Kremnica, Žiar nad Hronom District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia

Pyrargyrite

Clara Mine, Oberwolfach, Ortenaukreis, Freiburg Region, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Bournonite

Trepča Mine, Trepča complex, Mitrovica, Mitrovica District, Kosovo

Boulangerite

Dörnberg Mine, Olsberg, Hochsauerlandkreis, Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Localities with greatest number of different Antimony mineral species

1	Vorontsovskoe deposit (Vorontsovsk gold deposit; Vorontsovka deposit), Tur'insk, Turya river, Serovsky District, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia	51 Sb minerals
2	Plaka Mine No. 80, Plaka Mines, Plaka, Lavreotiki, East Attica, Attica, Greece	35 Sb minerals
3	Zlatá Baňa deposit, Zlatá Baňa, Prešov District, Prešov Region, Slovakia	33 Sb minerals
4	Kremnica Au-Ag deposit, Kremnica, Žiar nad Hronom District, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia	33 Sb minerals
5	Săcărâmb, Certeju de Sus, Hunedoara County, Romania	29 Sb minerals
6	Långban Mine, Långban Ore District, Filipstad, Värmland County, Sweden	29 Sb minerals
7	Clara Mine, Oberwolfach, Ortenaukreis, Freiburg Region, Baden-Württemberg, Germany	26 Sb minerals
8	Buca della Vena Mine, Pontestazzemese, Stazzema, Lucca Province, Tuscany, Italy	25 Sb minerals

Important ores of Antimony

Name	Formula	Crystal System
Stibnite	Sb₂S₃	Orthorhombic

Photos
Stibnite La Estrella mine, Ateca, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain Stibnite Cizma Mine, Poiana Botizii, Băiuț, Maramureș County, Romania Stibnite, etc. Hüttenberger Erzberg, Hüttenberg, Sankt Veit an der Glan District, Carinthia, Austria Stibnite Băiuț, Maramureș County, Romania Stibnite La Estrella mine, Ateca, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain Stibnite Cizma Mine, Poiana Botizii, Băiuț, Maramureș County, Romania Stibnite, etc. Hüttenberger Erzberg, Hüttenberg, Sankt Veit an der Glan District, Carinthia, Austria Stibnite Băiuț, Maramureș County, Romania Stibnite La Estrella mine, Ateca, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain Stibnite Cizma Mine, Poiana Botizii, Băiuț, Maramureș County, Romania Stibnite, etc. Hüttenberger Erzberg, Hüttenberg, Sankt Veit an der Glan District, Carinthia, Austria Stibnite Băiuț, Maramureș County, Romania

Photos

Stibnite

La Estrella mine, Ateca, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

Stibnite

Cizma Mine, Poiana Botizii, Băiuț, Maramureș County, Romania

Stibnite, etc.

Hüttenberger Erzberg, Hüttenberg, Sankt Veit an der Glan District, Carinthia, Austria

Stibnite

Băiuț, Maramureș County, Romania

Stibnite

La Estrella mine, Ateca, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

Stibnite

Cizma Mine, Poiana Botizii, Băiuț, Maramureș County, Romania

Stibnite, etc.

Hüttenberger Erzberg, Hüttenberg, Sankt Veit an der Glan District, Carinthia, Austria

Stibnite

Băiuț, Maramureș County, Romania

Stibnite

La Estrella mine, Ateca, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

Stibnite

Cizma Mine, Poiana Botizii, Băiuț, Maramureș County, Romania

Stibnite, etc.

Hüttenberger Erzberg, Hüttenberg, Sankt Veit an der Glan District, Carinthia, Austria

Stibnite

Băiuț, Maramureș County, Romania

Other significant minerals containing Antimony

Name	Formula	Crystal System
Native Antimony	Sb	Trigonal
Metastibnite	Sb₂S₃	Amorphous
Tetrahedrite Subgroup	Cu₆(Cu₄C²⁺₂)Sb₄S₁₂S	Isometric

Photos
Native Antimony, etc. Lake George Antimony mine, Lake George, Prince William Parish, York Co., New Brunswick, Canada Metastibnite, etc. Steamboat Hot Springs, Steamboat Springs Mining District, Washoe County, Nevada, USA Tetrahedrite Subgroup, etc. Georg Mine, Willroth, Altenkirchen-Flammersfeld, Altenkirchen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Native Antimony Consols Mine, Broken Hill, Broken Hill district, Yancowinna Co., New South Wales, Australia Native Antimony, etc. Lake George Antimony mine, Lake George, Prince William Parish, York Co., New Brunswick, Canada Metastibnite, etc. Steamboat Hot Springs, Steamboat Springs Mining District, Washoe County, Nevada, USA Tetrahedrite Subgroup, etc. Georg Mine, Willroth, Altenkirchen-Flammersfeld, Altenkirchen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Native Antimony Consols Mine, Broken Hill, Broken Hill district, Yancowinna Co., New South Wales, Australia Native Antimony, etc. Lake George Antimony mine, Lake George, Prince William Parish, York Co., New Brunswick, Canada Metastibnite, etc. Steamboat Hot Springs, Steamboat Springs Mining District, Washoe County, Nevada, USA Tetrahedrite Subgroup, etc. Georg Mine, Willroth, Altenkirchen-Flammersfeld, Altenkirchen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Native Antimony Consols Mine, Broken Hill, Broken Hill district, Yancowinna Co., New South Wales, Australia

Photos

Native Antimony, etc.

Lake George Antimony mine, Lake George, Prince William Parish, York Co., New Brunswick, Canada

Metastibnite, etc.

Steamboat Hot Springs, Steamboat Springs Mining District, Washoe County, Nevada, USA

Tetrahedrite Subgroup, etc.

Georg Mine, Willroth, Altenkirchen-Flammersfeld, Altenkirchen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Native Antimony

Consols Mine, Broken Hill, Broken Hill district, Yancowinna Co., New South Wales, Australia

Native Antimony, etc.

Lake George Antimony mine, Lake George, Prince William Parish, York Co., New Brunswick, Canada

Metastibnite, etc.

Steamboat Hot Springs, Steamboat Springs Mining District, Washoe County, Nevada, USA

Tetrahedrite Subgroup, etc.

Georg Mine, Willroth, Altenkirchen-Flammersfeld, Altenkirchen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Native Antimony

Consols Mine, Broken Hill, Broken Hill district, Yancowinna Co., New South Wales, Australia

Native Antimony, etc.

Lake George Antimony mine, Lake George, Prince William Parish, York Co., New Brunswick, Canada

Metastibnite, etc.

Steamboat Hot Springs, Steamboat Springs Mining District, Washoe County, Nevada, USA

Tetrahedrite Subgroup, etc.

Georg Mine, Willroth, Altenkirchen-Flammersfeld, Altenkirchen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Native Antimony

Consols Mine, Broken Hill, Broken Hill district, Yancowinna Co., New South Wales, Australia

Spotted a mistake/omission? - These pages are a work in progress, so please send all comments/corrections to jolyon@mindat.org. Thank you.

Constants and physical property data from:

Lide, David R. - Ed. (2005) CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics - A Ready-Reference Book of Chemical and Physical Data (85th ed.). CRC Press.
National Physical Laboratory (2005) Kaye and Laby Online (discontinued). https://web.archive.org/web/20190506031327/http://www.kayelaby.npl.co.uk/
Kaye, G. W. C.; Laby, T. H. (n.d.) Tables of Physical and Chemical Constants and some Mathematical Functions. Longmans, Green, and Co.
Greenwood, N.N.; Earnshaw, A. (1997) Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth–Heinemann.
Ahrens, Thomas J. - Ed. (1995) Global Earth Physics - A Handbook of Physical Constants - AGU Reference Shelf No. 1. American Geophysical Union.
Railsback, L. Bruce (2003) An earth scientist's periodic table of the elements and their ions. Geology, 31 (9) 737 doi:10.1130/g19542.1
Emsley, John (2001) Nature's Building Blocks - An A-Z Guide to the Elements. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

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