Indian Minerals Yearbook 2013 (Part- II : Metals & Alloys)
52nd Edition
ANTIMONY
(FINAL RELEASE)
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES INDIAN BUREAU OF MINES
Indira Bhavan, Civil Lines, NAGPUR – 440 001
PHONE/FAX NO. (0712) 2565471 PBX : (0712) 2562649, 2560544, 2560648 E-MAIL: [email protected] Website: www.ibm.gov.in
May, 2015
2-1 ANTIMONY 2 Antimony
ntimony is a strategic metal. The predominant Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka Aore of antimony is stibnite composed of and Uttar Pradesh. antimony trisulphide, Sb2S3, (Sb 71.4%). Antimony in its elemental form is a silvery white, brittle, fusible, USES crystalline solid that exhibits poor electrical and heat Antimony and its alloys find numerous conductivity properties and vaporises at low applications in a wide range of high technology temperatures. Antimony and some of its alloys are industries like electronic, space and defence, unusual in nature that they expand on cooling. photographic materials, electroplating, besides Commercial forms of antimony are generally traded cosmetic, paint, plastics and textile industries. in the form of ingots, broken pieces, granules or cast Traditionally, it is used in type metal and other alloys. cake. Other forms are powder, shots and single It is now used extensively worldwide to harden and increase the mechanical strength of crystals. The occurrence of antimony in the earth lead, particularly in battery industry. Antimony crust ranges from 0.2 to 0.5 parts per million. trioxide is the most important of the antimony Antimony is geochemically categorised as a compounds and is primarily used in flame-retardant chalcophile, occurring with sulphur and associated applications, including such markets, as children's with heavy metals, lead, copper and silver. The metal clothing, toys, aircraft and automobile seat covers. is obtained commonly as a by-product in lead- Antimony sulphide is one of the ingredients of zinc-silver smelting. One of the studies conducted safety matches. It is also used as a decolourising by HZL was related to recovery of antimony- and refining agent in glass industry. Antimony rich residue from antimony dross of Pyro-smelter. compounds may be used in pharmaceuticals. It Presently, there is no production of antimony is also used in semi-conductors for making in India. The entire requirement of antimony infrared detectors, diodes and acoustic devices. in the country is met through imports of its ore and concentrates. SUBSTITUTES Combination of tin, calcium, copper, selenium, RESOURCES cadmium, strontium and sulphur are among the As per the UNFC system, as on 1.4.2010, substitutes used as hardeners for lead used in total resources are estimated at 10,588 tonnes ore with batteries. Low maintenance batteries have started metal content of 174 tonnes, all in inferred category in using calcium as additive to substitute antimony. Antimony can be replaced by organic compounds Lahaul & Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh (Table-1). or hydrated aluminium oxide in flame-retardants and The stibnite and its decomposition products, by tellurium and selenium in rubber manufacturing. cervantite and kermesite occur as veins, stringers Compounds of titanium, zinc, chromium, tin and specks. Occurrences of antimony ores and zirconium may be substituted for antimony are also reported from the states of Andhra chemicals in paints, pigments and enamels.
Table – 1 : Reserves/Resources of Antimony as on 1.4.2010 (By State) (In tonnes)
Reserves Remaining resources Total India/State Total Inferred Total resources (A) (STD 333) (B) (A+B)
India Ore – 10588 10588 10588 Metal – 174 174 174 Himachal Pradesh Ore – 10588 10588 10588 Metal – 174 174 174
2-2 ANTIMONY TECHNICAL POSSIBILITIES Mexico Antimony products can be used as stabilizers USAC completed its Puerto Blanco in in specialised plastics. Development of electric Guanajuato mill & started their production in vehicles could lead to the use of high antimony February. The mill had the capacity to produce batteries because of their deep cycling 150 metric tonnes per day of 50%-60% antimony- characteristics. Antimony semiconductors have content concentrate. This concentrate was possible use in aircraft night vision systems transported to its Madero sulfide & oxide smelter and in space-based astronomy. The antimonial to produce antimony trioxide. In Mexico furnaces lead scrap extracted from the spent lead acid had been designed to handle low-grade antimony storage batteries is recycled largely from and oxide ore. for storage battery industry. Antimony has found a new use in the manufacture of DVDs. Russia WORLD REVIEW Geo Pro Mining Ltd (Moscow) operated The world reserves of antimony are 1.8 million exploration projects & mines for antimony. It tonnes in terms of metal content. Antimony produced a concentrate containing 66% antimony. reserves are located mainly in China, which contributes about 53% to the total reserves Table – 3 : World Production of Antimony followed by Russia (19%), Bolivia (17%), (By Principal Countries) Tajikistan (3%) and South Africa (1%) (Table-2). (In tonnes of metal content) The world production of antimony metal increased marginally to 156,000 tonnes in 2012 as Country 2010 2011 2012 against 150,000 tonnes in the previous year. China World : Total 157000 150000 156000 was the main producer of antimony accounting for about 82% of world production. Tajikistan, Australia 707 1751 1950 Bolivia, Russia, South Africa and Australia were Bolivia 4980 3947 5081 the other important producers (Table-3). Canada 69 68 65e China 129831 123900 128600 Table – 2 : World Reserves of Antimony (By Principal Countries) Kyrgyzstane 900 900 900 (In tonnes of metal content) Kazakhstan 785 800e 750e Laos 530 1456 1042 Country Reserves Mexico 71 5 - World : Total (rounded) 1,800,000 Russiae 6039 6348 6400e Bolivia 310000 South Africa 2257 2391 3044 China 950000 Tajikistan 8500 6600 6600 Russia (Recoverable) 350000 Thailand 705 442 672 South Africa 27000 Turkeye 1300 1300 1300 Tajikistan 50000 Other countries 25 92 74 Other countries 150000
Source: Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2014. Source: World Mineral Production, 2008-2012.
China FOREIGN TRADE In China, three antimony smelters in Hechi & Exports Nanning Prefectures (Guangxi Province) received Exports of antimony alloys and scrap were notices to upgrade their smelting and wastewater 2,123 tonnes in 2012-13 against 1,410 tonnes in treatment facilities because of cadmium emissions. the previous year. Exports were mainly to USA One smelter in Nanning reportedly elected to (40%), Pakistan (26%), Thailand (16%), Japan(9%) shutdown because they were outdated. and Korea, Rep. of (4%) (Table - 4).
2-3 ANTIMONY
Imports Singapore (2%) each. Import of antimony alloys Imports of antimony ores and concentrates and scrap increased drastically in 2012-13 from increased considerably to 4,917 tonnes in 2012-13 380 tonnes in the previous year to 769 tonnes from 3,712 tonnes in the previous year. Imports in the current year. Import of alloys and scrap were mainly from South Africa (92%), China and was mainly from China (93%) (Tables- 5 and 6).
Table – 4 : Exports of Antimony Alloys and Scrap (By Countries)
2011-12 2012-13 Country Qty Value Qty Value (t) (L’000) (t) (L’000)
All Countries 1410 872560 2123 1311070 USA 685 408087 840 494843 Pakistan 314 200890 543 357857 Thailand 40 23932 350 223782 Japan 128 80662 182 112024 Korea, Rep. of -- 90 54480 UAE 17 13292 41 27083 South Africa -- 20 11197 Jordan -- 15 10299 Nigeria 1 608 12 9063 UK -- 5 3166 Other countries 225 145089 25 7276
Table – 5 : Imports of Antimony Ores & Conc. (By Countries)
2011-12 2012-13 Country Qty Value Qty Value (t) (L’000) (t) (L’000)
All Countries 3712 1153868 4917 1361490 South Africa 3065 962586 4546 1244590 Italy 46 22866 73 39654 China 103 34379 118 33791 Singapore -- 103 26717 Myanmar -- 45 8972 Peru 53 11706 27 4904 Austria 5 2174 3 1655 Germany 103 35212 2 1207 Other countries 337 84945 --
2-4 ANTIMONY Table – 6 : Imports of Antimony Alloys & Scrap (By Countries)
2011-12 2012-13 Country Qty Value Qty Value (t) (L’000) (t) (L’000)
All Countries 380 356570 769 555508
China 343 328995 719 521409
Vietnam -- 20 12644
Netherlands -- 5 6536
Singapore -- 10 6489
Japan -- 6 3571
Thailand -- 5 3118
Spain -- 2 540
France 20 15227 1 435
USA ++ 2 1 385
UK ++ 44 ++ 231
Other countries 17 12302 ++ 150
FUTURE OUTLOOK and unlike silicon, are non-flammable. The chips Continued mining restrictions in China may are commercialised and expected to find result in higher market prices of antimony. The applications in mobile telephones and digital future growth in demand for antimony will be cameras. In contrast, little or no growth is much dependent on the level of requirement from anticipated for antimony metal in metallurgical the flame-retardant sector which accounts for 55% and battery markets.The use of antimony in flame primary antimony consumption worldwide and for retardants was expected to remain its principal use about 90% global antimony trioxide consumption. globally as well as in the United States. In recent In the flame-retardant sector, antimony trioxide is years, lead-acid battery manufacturers have used as a synergist normally with bromine and initiated research and development programmes chlorine. Currently, antimony-based catalysts that could ultimately lead to significant changes account for around 90% usage worldwide in in lead-acid battery design. This research has polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production. already yielded performance improvement that A new chip based on germanium-antimony- would make lead-acid batteries viable option. This telluride was developed abroad for 'Phase-change' eventually reduce or eliminate the use of antimony Random Access Memory chips (PRAMS) which in lead-acid batteries. Future supplies of antimony can process data faster than flash memory chips are expected to be sufficient to meet demand.
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