Antimony sulfides minerals

Microbiological leaching of copper and uranium has been commercially developed and research has iadicated that microorganisms may be used to oxidize complex antimony sulfide minerals (22,23). If this technology is developed commercially, it may aHow for the exploitation of many low grade antimony deposits. 

Antimony glance is synonymous with stibnite (q.v.), an antimony sulfide mineral with composition Sb2Sj. 

Antimony trioxide (Sb20g) can be formed by the direct reaction of the element with oxygen. However, in practice production methods were similar to those used for zinc oxide q.v) pigments. The usual raw material was the antimony sulfide mineral stibnite q.v), which was roasted in air to form the oxide MerckIndex, 1996). 

Montana. These deposits consist of stibnite and other sulfide minerals containing base metals and silver or gold. Ores of the complex deposits are mined primarily for lead, copper, 2inc, or precious metals antimony is a by-product of the treatment of these ores. 

Antimon-saure, /. antimonic acid, -saureanhy-drid, n. antimonic anhydride, antimony pent-oxide. -silber, n. antimonial silver, dyscrasite. -silberblende,/. pyrargyrite. -silberglanz, m. stephanite. -spiegel, m. antimony mirror, -sulfid, n. antimony sulfide, specif, antimony pentasulfide, antimony(V) sulfide, -sulfiir, n. antimony trisulfide, antimony(III) sulfide, -yerblndung,/. antimony compound, -wasser--stoff, m. antimony hydride, stibine. -weiss, n. antimony white (Sb Oa). -zinnober, m. kermes mineral. 

SpiessglanZ kermes, m. kermesite kermes mineral, -kbnig, m. regulus of antimony, -leber,/. livex of antimony, hepar antimonii. -metall, n. antimony, -mittel, n. antimonial remedy, -mohr, m. aethiops antimonialis (old pharmaceutical preparation of mercury and antimony sulfides). -ocker, m, antimony ocher, -oxyd,n. antimon> trioxide. -safran,... 

The magnetic criterion is particularly valuable because it provides a basis for differentiating sharply between essentially ionic and essentially electron-pair bonds Experimental data have as yet been obtained for only a few of the interesting compounds, but these indicate that oxides and fluorides of most metals are ionic. Electron-pair bonds are formed by most of the transition elements with sulfur, selenium, tellurium, phosphorus, arsenic and antimony, as in the sulfide minerals (pyrite, molybdenite, skutterudite, etc.). The halogens other than fluorine form electron-pair bonds with metals of the palladium and platinum groups and sometimes, but not always, with iron-group metals. 

Although antimony is not a rare metal, it is not well known, despite having been known and used for many centuries. It is the 63rd most abundant element on Earth, and it occurs mainly as sulfide ores or in combination with the ores of other metals. The ore that is the primary source of antimony is the mineral stibnite (antimony sulfide, Sb S ). Antimony is also found in copper, silver, and lead ores. Breithauptite (NiSb) and ullmanite (NiSbS) are two ores containing nickel. Dicrasite (Ag Sb) and pyrargyrite (Ag ShS ) are silver ores containing some antimony. 

Antimony has a long history of medical use. Some scholars believe that Mozart died after being given antimony by the physicians who were treating his depression and who were unaware of just how poisonous antimony was. The evidence for this story is scant. It is also known that around 870 bce. Queen Jezebel and her contemporaries used the mineral or ore antimony sulfide as a cosmetic to darken their eyelashes and as an eyeliner. It is still used for this purpose in many countries. 

BOULANGERITE. A mineral compound of lead-antimony sulfide, PbjSb Sn. Crystallizes in the monoclinic system hardness, 2.5-3 specific gravity, 6.23 color, lead gray. 

POLYBASITE. A mineral antimony sulfide of silver (Ag.C n)t. Sb,S. in which copper substitutes for silver to approximately 30 atomic percent. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system hardness, 2-3 specific gravity, 6.3 color, black, dark ruby red in thin splinters with metallic luster nearly opaque. From the Greek, meaning many, suggesting the many-metal basis. 

STEPHANITE. The mineral slephanite. silver antimony sulfide, Ag5-ShS7, is found in short prismatic or tabular orthorhombic crystals. It is a brittle mineral hardness, 2-2.5 specific gravity, 6,25 metallic luster culor, black streak, black opaque. 

A powder which burns with a green flame is obtained by the addition of nitrate of baryta to chlorate of potash, nitrate of potash, acetate of copper. A white flame is made by the addition of sulfide of antimony, sulfide of arsenic, camphor. Red by the mixture of lampblack, coal, bone ash, mineral oxide of iron, nitrate of strontia, pumice stone, mica, oxide of cobalt. Blue with ivory, bismuth, alum, zinc, copper sulfate purified of its sea water [sic]. Yellow by amber, carbonate of soda, sulfate of soda, cinnabar. It is necessary in order to make the colors come out well to animate the combustion by adding chlorate of potash.15... 

The most important raw materials for the production of non-ferrous metals, such as copper, lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, antimony and cadmium, are the sulfide minerals. The use of collectors containing various thio-type functional groups has proved to be the most successful in the flotation of these minerals. Some of these compounds are shown in Table 1. 

The product shall have the characteristic shining, needlelike structure, steel-grey color, and hardness of the naturally occurring crystalline mineral. The lump form of the antimony sulfide shall be clean and free from adherent gangue material or scale. Pulverized antimony sulfide shall be free from extraneous material as indicated by visual examination under a magnification that clearly shows the crystal structure. The manufacturer shall certify that the product has these physical characteristics... 

Sulfides, Antimonides, Selenides, and Tellurides are minerals in which sulfur, antimony, selenium, or tellurium combine with one or more metals, or with one metal and one semi-metal. Some sulfide minerals are valuable sources of such elements as copper, silver, zinc, and mercury. 

The most important mineral containing antimony is stibnite, Sb2S3. Antimony sulfide was used as a dark material for painting around the eyes by women in ancient Egypt and Persia. Other minerals containing arsenic include ullmanite, NiSbS, tetrahedrite, Cu3SbS3, and a number of other complex sulfides. 

SAFETY PROFILE Poison by ingestion and intraperitoneal routes. A trace mineral added to animal feeds. Potentially explosive reaction with charcoal + ozone, metals (e.g., powdered aluminum, copper), arsenic carbon, phosphoms, sulfur, alkali metal hydrides, alkaline earth metal hydrides, antimony sulfide, arsenic sulfide, copper sulfide, tin sulfide, metal cyanides, metal thiocyanates, manganese dioxide, phosphorus. Violent reaction with organic matter. When heated to decomposition it emits very toxic fumes of I and K2O. See also lODATES. 

The pre-1991 research involving microbial oxidation of 29 sulfide minerals of iron, copper, arsenic, antimony, gallium, zinc, lead, nickel, and mercury was compiled by Nordstrom and Southam (1997). The importance of microbially mediated sulfide oxidation has been recognized for several decades (Nordstrom and Southam, 1997). Bacteria catalyze the oxidative dissolution of sulfide minerals, increasing the production of acidity in mine wastes. In the absence of bacteria, the rate of sulfide oxidation stabilizes as the pH decreases below 3.5 (Singer and Stumm, 1970). 

Antimony is rarely found in its native (as an element) state. Instead, it usually occurs as a compound. The most common minerals of antimony are stibnite, tetrahedrite, bournonite, boulangerite, and jamesonite. In most of these minerals, antimony is combined with sulfur to produce some form of antimony sulfide (Sb2S3). 

Sulfur also occurs in a number of important minerals. Some examples are barite, or barium sulfate (BaS04) celestite, or strontium sulfate (SrS04) cinnabar, or mercury sulfide (HgS) galena, or lead sulfide (PbS) pyrites, or iron sulfide (FeS2) sphalerite, or zinc sulfide (ZnS) and stibnite, or antimony sulfide (Sb2S3). 

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