Mining Operations of Antimony in China

Antimony Ore: Stibnite

Native Antimony

Characteristics:

Antimony is a chemical element with symbol Sb and atomic number 51. A lustrous gray metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite, which is the predominant ore mineral that has a Mohs scale hardness of 3. Thus pure antimony is too soft to make hard objects. Antimony is stable in air at room temperature, but reacts with oxygen if heated and is resistant to attack by acids. The abundance of antimony in the Earth’s crust is estimated at 0.35 parts per million. Even though his element is not abundant, it is found in over 100 mineral species.

Production and Mining:

China has been the largest producer of antimony and its compounds, with most production coming from the Xikuangshan Mine in Hunan province, which holds an estimated deposit of 2.1 million metric tons.
Import Sources (2006–09): Metal: China, 68%; Mexico, 14%; Peru, 8%; and other, 10%. Ore and concentrate: Bolivia, 59%; China, 28%; and other, 13%. Oxide: China, 53%; Mexico, 32%; Belgium, 8%; and other, 7%. Total: China, 56%; Mexico, 28%; Belgium, 7%; and other, 9%.

Antimony production in 2010
Country	Tonnes	% of total
People’s Republic of China	120,000	88.9
South Africa	3,000	2.2
Bolivia	3,000	2.2
Russia	3,000	2.2
Tajikistan	2,000	1.5
Top 5	131,000	97.0
Total world	135,000	100.0

In its metallic metal state, antimony doesn't affect human and environmental health. However, the inhalation of antimony dust is considered harmful and suspected of causing cancer. The effects are hypothesized to be attributed to inhalation leading to impaired lung clearance, lung overload, inflammation and ultimately tumor formation. Antimony chlorides are corrosive to skin. Prolonged skin contact with antimony dust may cause dermatitis.

Application:

The estimated distribution of antimony uses was as follows: flame retardants at 35%, batteries at 23%, chemicals at 16%, ceramics and glass at 12% and others at 14%. 

Another use is as a stabilizer and a catalyst for the production of synthetic fibers. Another application is to serve as a fining agent to remove microscopic bubbles in glass, mostly for TV screens. The third major application is the use as pigment for making bullets and bullet tracers. . Increasingly coming to use, antimony is being used in the semiconductor industry as a dopant. 

For biological or medical applications exist for antimony. Antimony compounds are used as antiprotozoal drugs and anti-schistosomal drugs, which is used as a skin conditioner. Antimony has a nourishing or conditioning effect on keratinized tissues, at least in animals.

Trends:

 In March, the Government stated it would not approve any new projects for antimony; also, the Government shut down about hundred antimony smelters in China’s dominant antimony-producing region, an action aimed at closing illegal mines and curbing pollution. Both actions caused reductions in production. Because of this, the price of antimony rose substantially during 2010. At the start of the year, antimony sold at $2.90 per pound and by the end of the year sold for about $5.25 per pound. In response, several new antimony mine projects sprung up in Australia, Canada, and Laos because many countries don’t possess stockpiles. 

Antimony was identified as one of 12 critical raw materials for the EU in a report published in 2011, primarily due to the lack of supply outside China.