Výroba a využití antimonu

Abstract

Antimony has been known since the Middle Ages, when it was used as cosmetics and there were precious chaldej vases produced from cast antimony. This element is a silvery metal or semi-metal. Metal antimony is of medium hardness and it is very brittle. It is not very rife in the earth's crust. The main suppliers of antimony were China and South Africa. Antimony is used as an important component in alloys, where it provides castability, resistance to creep, and it also increases the fatigue limit and electrochemical stability. It is used in the production of accumulators, solders, pellets, bearings and positive plates. The most important ore of antimony is antimonide (antimony sulphide). Antimony is still used and extracted for its good and significant qualities.