Element 51 · Metalloid
Antimony
Antimony hardens lead alloys for batteries and bullets — and is a flame retardant in plastics.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Sb
ATOMIC NO.
51
ATOMIC WEIGHT
121.760
CATEGORY
Metalloid
PERIOD
Period 5
GROUP
Group 15
Discovery & History
Antimony has been known since antiquity — antimony sulphide (stibnite) was used as kohl eye cosmetic in ancient Egypt and the Middle East at least 5,000 years ago. The alchemist Paracelsus used antimony medicinally in the 16th century (controversially). From the 1450s, Gutenberg’s movable type printing press relied on lead-antimony-tin alloy (type metal), which allowed the rapid reproduction of text and transformed European civilisation. Antimony-hardened lead alloys were used in early batteries and bullets from the 19th century.
Where It's Used
Antimony’s primary uses today include flame retardants (antimony trioxide synergises with brominated compounds in plastics, textiles, and electronics), lead-antimony alloys in lead-acid battery plates (which significantly extend battery life), and as a dopant in semiconductor manufacturing. Antimony trioxide is a critical component in the PVC, textiles, and circuit board industries.
Can You Sell It?
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Antimony:
Antimony appears as a trace element in lead-acid battery scrap (typically 1–3% antimony in battery grid metal). We recover any antimony content incidentally when we process lead-acid battery scrap — however, we do not buy antimony as a standalone material, and antimony-containing scrap streams other than lead batteries require specialist processing.
Price Guide
Antimony metal trades at approximately £4,000–8,000/tonne. China controls over 50% of global production and has applied export restrictions. Not traded directly at standard scrap yards.