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DESIGNATIONS
CAS No.: 7440-36-0
Registry name: Antimony
Chemical name: Antimony
Synonyms, Trade names:
Chemical name (German): Antimon
Chemical name (French): Antimoine
Appearance: brittle grey metal with silvery white sheen
BASIC CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL DATA
| Chemical Symbol: | Sb |
| Rel. atomic mass: | 121.75 g |
| Density: | 6.68 g/cm3 |
| Boiling point: | 1,380°C |
| Melting point: | 630°C |
| Solvolysis/solubility: | in water: insoluble |
BASIC DATA ON SELECTED COMPOUNDS
| CAS No: | 7803-52-3 | 1309-64-4 |
| Chemical name | Antimony hydride | Antimony trioxide |
| Synonyms, Trade names | Stibine | |
| Chemical name (German): | Antimonwasserstoff | Antimontrioxid |
| Chemical name (French): | Hydrure d’antimoine | Trioxyde d’antimoine |
| Appearance: | colourless, foul smelling gas | white crystalline powder |
| Empirical formula: | SbH3 | Sb2O3 |
| Rel. molecular mass: | 124.8 g | 291.5 g |
| Density: | 5.68 g/l | 5.2-5.8 g/cm3 |
| Relative gas density | 4.3 | |
| Boiling point | -18°C | 1456°C |
| Melting point: | -88°C | 656°C |
| Solvolysis/solubility: | in water: 200 ml/l | in water: 0.014 g/l |
| Conversion factors: | 1 ppm = 5.19 mg/m3 1 mg/m3 = 0.19 ppm |
ORIGIN AND USE
Usage:
Metallic antimony is mainly used in alloys with lead or tin;
its compounds have a wide range of industrial uses e.g. in the
manufacture of fireproof fabrics, rubber and synthetics, glass
and ceramics, matches, explosives and pyrotechnic materials as
well as medicines.
Origin/derivation:
Antimony is an element which makes up 0.001 % of the
Earth's crust.
Production figures:
World production of primary antimony in tons of metal (1986):
| China | 14,000 |
| Bolivia | 10,243 |
| South Africa | 7,024 |
| USSR | 6,000 |
| World | 55,533 |
(figures taken from FISCHER WELTALMANACH, 1989)
Toxicity
| Mammals: | ||
| Rat | LD50 4,480 mg/kg, oral (antimony acetate) | acc. DVGW, 1985 |
| LD50 115 mg/kg, oral (antimony potassium tartrate) | acc. DVGW, 1985 | |
| LD50 20,000 mg/kg, oral (antimony(III)oxide) | acc. DVGW, 1985 | |
| Mouse | LD50 600 mg/kg, oral (antimony potassium tartrate) | acc. DVGW, 1985 |
| Aquatic organisms: | ||
| Fish | LCLo 10-100 ppm (96h), (antimony compounds) | acc. UBA, 1986 |
Characteristic effects:
Human/mammals: The toxicity of antimony compounds is comparable to that of arsenic, but as antimony compounds are hardly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, there is less hazard of acute poisoning. In addition, antimony compounds often cause vomiting thus being removed from the organism. Chronic poisoning may result in damage to the liver, the kidneys and even the heart and the circulatory system. The symptoms differ among the compounds. Stibine accumulates in fatty tissue.
ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOUR
The background impact of antimony is 0.0005 - 1.1 mg/kg
in soils and 0.04 - 3 m g/l in
surface and groundwater (DVGW, 1985). Antimony entering the soil
by way of precipitation has been found to impair fertility.
Antimony emissions are transported over great distances in the
atmosphere.
ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS
| Medium/acceptor | Sector | Country/organ. | Status |
Value | Cat. | Remarks | Source |
| Water: | Drinkw | EC | G |
0.01 mg/l | acc. DVGW, 1985 | ||
| Soil: | D | G |
5 mg/kg | In cultivated soil | acc. KLOKE, 1988 | ||
| Air: | Emiss. | D | L | 20 mg/m3 | mass flow > 25 g/h2) | acc. TA Luft, 1986 | |
| Workp | AUS | (L) |
0.5 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | B | (L) |
0.5 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | CH | (L) |
0.5 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | D | L |
0.5 mg/m3 | MAK | DFG, 1989 | ||
| Workp | DDR | L |
0.5 mg/m3 | 'MAK' | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | ||
| Workp | I | (L) |
0.5 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | NL | (L) |
0.5 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | PL | (L) |
0.5 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | RO | (L) |
0.5 mg/m3 | Short-time value | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | ||
| Workp | RO | (L) |
0.2 mg/m3 | Long-time value | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | ||
| Workp | S | (L) |
0.5 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | SF | (L) |
0.5 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 | |||
| Workp | SU | (L) |
0.5 mg/m3 | Short-time value1) | acc. Kettner, 1979 | ||
| Workp | SU | (L) |
0.2 mg/m3 | Long-time value1) | acc. KETTNER, 1979 | ||
| Workp | USA | (L) |
0.5 mg/m3 | STEL | ACGIH, 1986 | ||
| Workp | YU | (L) |
0.5 mg/m3 | acc. MERIAN, 1984 |
Note:
1) The Soviet Union has produced a
list of limit values ranging between 0.3 and 1 mg/m3 for
antimony compounds.
2) dustlike Sb and its compounds, stated as Sb
Comparison/reference values
Medium/origin |
Country |
Value |
Source |
| Areas of water | |||
| Lake Constance (1982) | D |
|
|
| Main (Hochheim, 1975) | D |
|
|
| Fulda (Fulda, 1975) | D |
|
|
| Rhine (Ludwigshafen, 1975) | D |
|
|
ASSESSMENT/COMMENTS
Antimony compounds are poisonous and exhibit a toxicological behaviour similar to that of arsenic. Little is known to date about the environmental risks involved. Water pollution seldom occurs because of the low solubility of most compounds. Extreme caution should be taken when coming into direct contact with antimony compounds.