U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Open-File Report 03-019 Mineral Commodity Profiles Antimony By W.C. Butterman and J.F. Carlin, Jr. 2004 This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards (or with the Northern American Stratigraphic Code). Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. 2 CONTENTS Overview ......................................................................................................................................................................4 Historical background....................................................................................................................................................4 Description ...................................................................................................................................................................6 Salient facts ............................................................................................................................................................6 Principal forms, alloys, and compounds.................................................................................................................6 Commercial forms, grades, shapes, and specifications...........................................................................................6 Sources of antimony ......................................................................................................................................................7 Primary antimony ...................................................................................................................................................7 Reserves, reserve base, and resources .............................................................................................................8 Secondary antimony ...............................................................................................................................................9 Production technologies ..............................................................................................................................................10 Mining ..................................................................................................................................................................10 Processing.............................................................................................................................................................10 Volatilization roasting ...................................................................................................................................11 Blast furnace smelting ...................................................................................................................................11 Liquation ......................................................................................................................................................11 Reduction ......................................................................................................................................................11 Leaching/electrowinning ...............................................................................................................................11 Precipitation ..................................................................................................................................................11 Refining.........................................................................................................................................................12 Recycling..............................................................................................................................................................12 Uses .............................................................................................................................................................................12 Metallic uses.........................................................................................................................................................14 Lead-acid batteries ........................................................................................................................................16 Bearing metal ................................................................................................................................................17 Solders...........................................................................................................................................................17 Other metallic uses ........................................................................................................................................18 Ammunition ...........................................................................................................................................18 Cable covering .......................................................................................................................................18 Rolled and extruded alloys.....................................................................................................................18 Casting alloys .........................................................................................................................................18 Miscellaneous metallic uses ...................................................................................................................19 Nonmetallic uses ..................................................................................................................................................19 Flame retardants ............................................................................................................................................19 Plastics additives ...........................................................................................................................................21 Stabilizers...............................................................................................................................................21 Catalysts .................................................................................................................................................21 Ceramics and glass ........................................................................................................................................22 Pigments ........................................................................................................................................................22 Other nonmetallic uses ..................................................................................................................................22 Trends in use ........................................................................................................................................................23 Substitutes for antimony.......................................................................................................................................23 Industry and market .....................................................................................................................................................23 Antimony and the environment ...................................................................................................................................25 3 Supply, demand, and sustainability .............................................................................................................................26 Current supply and demand..................................................................................................................................26 Potential supply ....................................................................................................................................................31 Strategic considerations........................................................................................................................................31 Sustainability of production and use.....................................................................................................................31 Economic factors .........................................................................................................................................................32 Outlook .......................................................................................................................................................................32 References cited...........................................................................................................................................................33 Appendix .....................................................................................................................................................................35 Tables 1. Principal antimony ore minerals......................................................................................................................7 2. Antimony reserves and reserve base, yearend 2000 ........................................................................................8 3. The principal antimonial alloys, by application ............................................................................................15 4. U.S. Flame-Retardants Market