Antimony oxides production

Total smelter output in the United States has been growing steadily since 1982 because of the growth in antimony oxide production. Primary antimony metal output has decreased since the 1970s because of the falling demand for antimony metal, and the availabihty of low cost metal from China. 

Pat. 3 980 619 Mitsubishi Chemical Industries, Japan, 1974 US Pat. 4 028 333 Velsicol Chemical Corporation, USA, 1975 JA-56-115 353, C 08L 77/00. Ube Industries Ltd., Yamaguchi, Japan, 1980 Europ. Pat. 60 432 Bayer A. G., Leverkusen, FRG, 1982 8US Pat. 3 950 306 Dow Chemical Co., USA, 1974 Colloidal Antimony Oxide. Product sheet of Nyacol Products Inc. Arrived in 1985 Harshaw Antimony Oxide. Product sheet of Harshaw/Amspec Chemical Corporation. Arrived in 1983... 

Great Lakes ceased production of octabromodiphenyl ether FRs in October 2004. It has concentrated antimony oxide production in Reynosa, Mexico since 2000. Previously it had been made in the UK, Mexico and the USA. Great Lakes has doubled production capacity for its nodust blends of stabilisers with the opening of a production and service centre in Arlington, TX and has sold its polymer additives plant in Newport, TN to Schenectady International for an imdisclosed sum. 

Although acrylonitrile manufacture from propylene and ammonia was first patented in 1949 (30), it was not until 1959, when Sohio developed a catalyst capable of producing acrylonitrile with high selectivity, that commercial manufacture from propylene became economically viable (1). Production improvements over the past 30 years have stemmed largely from development of several generations of increasingly more efficient catalysts. These catalysts are multicomponent mixed metal oxides mostly based on bismuth—molybdenum oxide. Other types of catalysts that have been used commercially are based on iron—antimony oxide, uranium—antimony oxide, and tellurium-molybdenum oxide. 

Acryhc and modacryhc fibers are sold mainly as staple and tow products with small amounts of continuous filament fiber sold in Europe and Japan. Staple lengths may vary from 25 to 150 mm, depending on the end use. Eiber deniers may vary from 1.3 to 17 dtex (1.2 to 15 den) 3.2 dtex (3.0 den) is the standard form. The appearance of acryhcs under microscopical examination may differ from that of modacryhcs in two respects. Eirst, the cross sections (Eig. 1) of acryhcs are generally round, bean-shaped, or dogbone-shaped. The modacryhcs, on the other hand, vary from irregularly round to ribbon-like. The modacryhcs may also contain pigment-like particles of antimony oxide to enhance their flame-retardant properties. 

Antimony Oxide as a Primary Flame Retardant. Antimony oxide behaves as a condensed-phase flame retardant in cellulosic materials (2). It can be appHed by impregnating a fabric with a soluble antimony salt followed by a second treatment that precipitates antimony oxide in the fibers. When the treated fabric is exposed to a flame, the oxide reacts with the hydroxyl groups of the cellulose (qv) causing them to decompose endothermically. The decomposition products, water and char, cool the flame reactions while slowing the production and volatilization of flammable decomposition products (see Flaa retardants for textiles). 

Mixed Metal Antimony Synergists Worldwide scarcities of antimony have prompted manufacturers to develop synergists that contain less antimony. Other metals have been found to work in concert with antimony to form a synergist that is as effective as antimony alone. Thermoguard CPA from Elf Atochem NA, which contains zinc in addition to antimony, can be used instead of antimony oxide in flexible poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) as well as some polyolefin appHcations. The Oncor and AZ products which contain siUcon, zinc, and phosphoms from Anzon Inc. can be used in a similar manner. The mixed metal synergists are 10 to 20% less expensive than antimony trioxide. 

Cblorina.ted Pa.ra.ffins, The term chlotinated paraffins covers a variety of compositions. The prime variables are molecular weight of the starting paraffin and the chlorine content of the final product. Typical products contain from 12—24 carbons and from 40—70 wt % chlorine. Liquid chlotinated paraffins are used as plasticizers (qv) and flame retardants ia paint (qv) and PVC formulations. The soHd materials are used as additive flame retardants ia a variety of thermoplastics. In this use, they are combiaed with antimony oxide which acts as a synergist. Thermal stabilizers, such as those used ia PVC (see vinyl polymers), must be used to overcome the inherent thermal iastabiUty. 

Commercial Stabilizers. The performance of the antimony stabilizers is significantly enhanced by adding polyhydroxybenzene compounds, eg, catechol, to the PVC (36). In commercial practice, about 5—10% catechol is formulated with the antimony mercaptide stabilizer products. The antimony mercaptides are normally prepared by heating antimony oxide with the appropriate mercaptan, normally isooctyl thioglycolate, under conditions to remove water. 

For the production of tartar emetic (antimony potassium tartrate [28300-74-5]), potassium bitartrate [868-14 ] and antimony oxide, Sb202, are added simultaneously to water in a stainless-steel reactor. The reaction mixture is diluted, filtered, and collected in jacketed granulators where crystallization takes place after cooling. Centrihiging, washing, and drying complete the process. 

By-Product and Secondary Antimony. Antimony is often found associated with lead ores. The smelting and refining of these ores yield antimony-hearing flue, baghouse, and CottreH dusts, drosses, and slags. These materials may be treated to recover elemental antimony or antimonial lead from which antimony oxide or sodium antimonate may be produced. 

Antimony(Ill) fluoride may be prepared by treating antimony trioxide or trichloride with hydrofluoric acid. Pure SbF is then obtained by carefully evaporating all of the water from the cmde product, which is subsequently sublimed. SbF does not hydrolyze as readily as do the other antimony ttihahdes. When heated in open air at 100°C, a crystalline soHd quickly forms of composition Sb302(0H)2F3, which, upon further heating, is transformed into antimony oxide fluoride [11083-22-0] SbOF. This compound may also be prepared by heating 1 1 mixtures of Sb203 and SbF. There are three known crystalline modifications. 

Silver-containing catalysts are used exclusively in all commercial ethylene oxide units, although the catalyst composition may vary considerably (129). Nonsdver-based catalysts such as platinum, palladium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, copper ketenide, gold, thorium, and antimony have been investigated, but are only of academic interest (98,130—135). Catalysts using any of the above metals either have very poor selectivities for ethylene oxide production at the conversion levels required for commercial operation, or combust ethylene completely at useful operating temperatures. 

In volume terms the most important class of fire retardants are the phosphates. Tritolyl phosphate and trixylyl phosphate are widely used plasticisers which more or less maintain the fire-retarding characteristics of PVC (unlike the phthalates, which reduce the flame resistance of PVC products). Better results are, however, sometimes obtained using halophosphates such as tri(chloroethyl) phosphate, particularly when used in conjunction with antimony oxide, triphenyl stibine or antimony oxychloride. 

A mixture of monolauryl phosphate sodium salt and triethylamine in H20 was treated with glycidol at 80°C for 8 h to give 98% lauryl 2,3-dihydro-xypropyl phosphate sodium salt [304]. Dyeing aids for polyester fibers exist of triethanolamine salts of ethoxylated phenol-styrene adduct phosphate esters [294], Fatty ethanolamide phosphate surfactant are obtained from the reaction of fatty alcohols and fatty ethanolamides with phosphorus pentoxide and neutralization of the product [295]. A double bond in the alkyl group of phosphoric acid esters alter the properties of the molecule. Diethylethanolamine salt of oleyl phosphate is effectively used as a dispersant for antimony oxide in a mixture of xylene-type solvent and water. The composition is useful as an additive for preventing functional deterioration of fluid catalytic cracking catalysts for heavy petroleum fractions. When it was allowed to stand at room temperature for 1 month it shows almost no precipitation [241]. 

Semimetal that occurs as a tin-type, brittle form and as a yellow, unstable, nonmetallic form. Its main use is in alloys to harden other metals. Without the addition of antimony, lead would have remained the "softy" of the Periodic Table. But with antimony, lead ruled the print world and later found use in the production of rechargeable batteries. It can be found in older ceramic glazing (yellow orange). Everyday encounters antimony sulfide in match heads and red rubber, antimony oxide is used as a flame retardant. Pure antimony is starting to become of interest in the electronics sector. 

In this regard, it should be noted at this point that one of the products identified by CGC/MS from these pyrolysis reactions was SbBr3- Furthermore, the data presented concerning the importance of the polymer substrate in the degradation of the DBDPO and the proposed chain radical transfer mechanism [7] would suggest that the condensed phase chemistry could be much more important in antimony oxide/organohalogen flame retardant systems than had been previously thought. 

Degradation and Combustion Products in the Presence of Antimony Oxide," FRCA Conference Proceedings,... 

AS A SMOKE SUPPRESSANT. Antimony oxide performs well as a flame retardant in flexible PVC, however, as a gas phase flame retardant, its use can drastically increase the smoke production during PVC combustion as illustrated in Fig. 8. The zinc borate,... 

Mineral filled PBT polyester resin containing 12% brominated phosphate and 4% antimony oxide yields a V-0 product with a 29.7 oxygen index. A product containing 16% brominated phosphate and... 

With 30% glass filled PBT, brominated phosphate requires the use of antimony oxide. A drip inhibitor was used in these studies and as little as 0.3% Teflon 6C fibrous powder is adequate to inhibit dripping. As little as 10% brominated phosphate will give a V-0 product (Table V). 

A 50/50 blend of polycarbonate resin and PBT polyester containing 13.5% brominated phosphate and no antimony oxide results in a product with a V-0 rating and an oxygen index of 33. An equivalent product containing brominated polycarbonate has a low oxygen index and burns in the UL-94 test (Table VIII). 

The first mode of the high resolution C-NMR of adsorbed molecules was recently reviewed Q-3) and the NMR parameters were thoroughly discussed. In this work we emphasize the study of the state of adsorbed molecules, their mobility on the surface, the identification of the surface active sites in presence of adsorbed molecules and finally the study of catalytic transformations. As an illustration we report the study of 1- and 2-butene molecules adsorbed on zeolites and on mixed tin-antimony oxides (4>3). Another application of this technique consists in the in-situ identification of products when a complex reaction such as the conversion of methanol, of ethanol (6 7) or of ethylene (8) is run on a highly acidic and shape-selective zeolite. When the conversion of methanol-ethylene mixtures (9) is considered, isotopic labeling proves to be a powerful technique to discriminate between the possible reaction pathways of ethylene. 

Acrolein is immediately passed through a second oxidation reactor to form acrylic acid. The reaction talces place at 475-575 E, over a tin-antimony oxide catalyst. A few by-products form, namely, formic acid (HCOOH), acetic acid (CH3COOH), low molecular weight polymers, carbon monoxide, and dioxide. But overall yields of propylene to acrylic acid are high—85 to 90%. 

Electrochemical data have been collected for a selection of the antimony OEP and TPP complexes including [Sb(Por)Me2] and [Sb(Por)(R)(OH)] (R = Me, Et). The complexes show one-electron oxidations and reductions at the porphyrin rings. Spectroelectrochemistry indicated that small amounts of antimony(III) products may be formed through a chemical reaction following the first reduction. " ... 

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