Atomic Properties of Sb
- Atomic Number of Sb
- 51
- Atomic Mass of Sb
- 121.7600 u
- Electron Configuration
- [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p3
- Electronegativity
- 2.05
- Block
- p-block
- Group
- 15
- Period
- 5
Antimony (Sb) is element 51 on the periodic table. Atomic mass of Sb: 121.7600 u. Sb is in period 5, group 15. Melting point of Sb: 903.78 K.Density of Sb: 6.70 g/cm³.
Antimony in everyday life and industry
Antimony compounds treat leishmaniasis (tropical disease) Workers in antimony industries face health risks
Discovered by Known to the ancients.,
Name origin: Greek: anti and monos (not alone); symbol from mineral stibnite.
The symbol Sb comes from "Stibium," the Latin name derived from Greek "stibi" referring to the mineral stibnite. The name "Antimony" has uncertain origins, possibly from Greek "anti-monos" (not alone) as it's rarely found pure.
Element of group 15. Multiple allotropic forms. The stable form of antimony is a blue-white metal. Yellow and black antimony are unstable non-metals. Used in flame-proofing, paints, ceramics, enamels, and rubber. Attacked by oxidizing acids and halogens. First reported by Tholden in 1450.
Antimony exists in 3 different structural forms (allotropes), each with unique properties.
Most stable form, silvery-white metal
Unstable molecular form
Amorphous form
Antimony has 2 naturally occurring isotopes, plus 2 notable radioactive isotopes.
| Isotope | Atomic Mass (u) | Abundance | Half-Life | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12151Sb (Sb-121)Antimony-121 isotope | 120.903812 | 57.21% | — | — |
| 12351Sb (Sb-123)Antimony-123 isotope | 122.9042132 | 42.79% | — | — |
| 12451Sb (Sb-124)Antimony-124 isotope | 123.905935 | 0% | 60.2 days | β⁻ |
| 12551Sb (Sb-125)Antimony-125 isotope | 124.905254 | 0% | 2.76 years | β⁻ |
Data source: NIH PubChem (aggregated from IUPAC, NIST)
Isotopes of Antimony have important real-world applications in science and industry.
In the 1950s, 124Sb and 125Sb (with half-lives of 60 days and about 1000 days, respectively) were used commercially as tracers. They were injected into oil pipelines as a way to detect the residence time and flow rate of the substance through the pipeline. The presence of these isotopes could be detected by means of a Geiger counter held above the pipeline. If the pipeline had a leak, the tracer would escape and its contamination and movement could be detected in the soil. 124Sb and 125Sb are now both treated as environmental contaminants [375].
It is alloyed with other metals to increase their hardness. Also in the manufacture of a few special types of semiconductor devices. Also in plastics and chemicals. A few kinds of over-the-counter cold and flu remedies use antimony compounds.
Found in stibnite (Sb2S3) and in valentinite (Sb2O3).
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