What is Antimony?
{{Infobox antimony}}[[File:Antimony-4.jpg|thumb|Antimony crystal]] '''Antimony''' is a [[chemical element]]. It has the chemical symbol '''Sb'''. The symbol Sb is from the [[Latin]] name of 'stibium' for the element. It has the [[atomic number]] 51. Its [[atomic mass]] is 121.8. It is a blue-gray element that is somewhat toxic. It is a solid at 25 degrees Celsius at [[standard atmosphere]] (a specific pressure). ==Properties== ===Physical properties=== [[File:Antimon.PNG|thumb|Powdered antimony]] Antimony has four [[allotrope]]s. The common allotrope of antimony is a blue-white [[metalloid]]. It looks black when powdered. It is brittle, soft, and shiny. Yellow and black antimony are [[unstable]] [[nonmetal]]s. Yellow antimony is only found at very cold temperatures. It is made by [[oxidation]] of [[stibine]]. It turns into black antimony when light is shined on it or when it is warmer. Black antimony is normally made by heating metallic antimony until it boils and then cooling the vapors very quickly. It can [[Combustion|ignite]] spontaneously (without any ignition source like a spark or a flame). It also [[corrode]]s easily. There is another [[explosive]] form of antimony that is made by [[electrolysis]] of [[antimony trichloride]]. This antimony is [[impurity|impure]], containing a lot of [[chlorine]]. It explodes when heated, scratched, and/or smashed changing into the metallic form. There is no [[chemical reaction]]; the atoms in the antimony crystal are rearranging themselves. When antimony is talked about it normally means the blue-white metalloid form, since it is most common. Antimony is found as two stable (not radioactive) [[isotope]]s naturally. Sb- 123 and Sb-121 ===Chemical properties=== Antimony is a rather unreactive element. It does not dissolve in [[acid]]s easily. It can dissolve in [[oxidizing agent|oxidizing]] acids like [[nitric acid|nitric]] or [[sulfuric acid]]. It does not corrode easily in air, although the black allotrope can corrode. Antimony burns in air to make [[antimony trioxid