Antimony

Antimony
Properties
Atomic symbol	Sb
Atomic number	51
Classification	Pnictogen
Atomic mass	121.760 amu
Number of Stable Isotopes	2
Density (grams per cc)	6.68 g/cm3
Other Information
Date of discovery	Known since ancient times.
Name of discoverer	Unknown
Name origin	Greek anti and monos, "not alone".
Uses	Various.
Obtained from	Stibnite, ullmanite, and valentinite.

Antimony (Sb) is a toxic, flaky, brittle element with the symbol Sb (Latin: stibium, meaning "mark") and atomic number 51. It does not react with air, but burns brightly when ignited. Since it is not a metal, antimony is a poor conductor of both heat and electricity. The stable form of antimony is a blue-white metalloid. Yellow and black antimony are unstable non-metals. Antimony is used in flame-proofing, paints, batteries, ceramics, enamels, as a hardener for lead and other metals, and in a wide variety of alloys, electronics, and rubber. The ancient Egyptians used black stibnite as eye make-up.

Antimony is a member of the "pnictogen" (group 15) of the periodic table. This is the area that has a metal near the bottom (bismuth) and some nonmetals near the top (nitrogen). Antimony in between—It is one of the few elements which is neither a metal or a non-metal.

Antimony was known as an element at least as far back as the alchemists. It was first scientifically studied in 1707 by Nicolas Lemery.