The Instrumentation Center

Antimony

[Picture of Display box]

Contributors: Dr. Leart Sejdarasi & Dr. Brit Eggly

About the Display: 

Antimony has had an influence on civilization and culture dating as far back as ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptians used antimony paste or crushed stibnite (Sb₂S₃) for cosmetic applications in the form of kohl eyeliner or kohl eyeliner. This is represented by the statues of Anubis and Isis holding the Eye of Horus as well as the various stibnite crystals found throughout the display.^1,2

Continuing the historical journey, antimony was a significant player in alchemy. Alchemists used antimony in their efforts to purify gold, harden lead, and even Isaac Newton was fascinated by it, including it in many of his experiments.^2,3,4 This is signified by the alchemy jar set. Beyond this, 15^th century alchemist Basilius Valentinus wrote the The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony to showcase the importance of antimony in alchemy and medicine, as well as the influence it has on "spiritual and physical" realms.⁵

Modern day applications include use of compounds such as antimony trioxide to slow the spread of fire in household items. Antimony trioxide (Sb₂O₃) is a flame retardant added to consumer products such as upholstered furniture, plastics (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate – PET – containers), and even some children’s toys.⁶ This is symbolized by the fire extinguisher, although it is important to note that there is no antimony present in the chemicals used in fire extinguishers. Instead, they typically use dry chemicals, such as monoammonium phosphate, halogenated agents, or dry powders.⁷  

Resources: 

1. 1. Walker MD. Etymologia: Antimony. Emerg Infect Dis. (2018). doi: 10.3201/eid2408.ET2408. PMCID: PMC6056124.

1. 2. Koll: The Beauty and Science of Ancient Egyptian Eyeliner. AramcoWorld. (2023). https://www.aramcoworld.com/articles/2023/ingenuity-and-innovations-1-kohl-eyeliner.
   3. Iavicoli S, Guastella V, Petyx C, Iavicoli A, Iavicoli I. The antimony conflict. Med Lav. (2006). Italian. PMID: 17009674.
   4. A Guide to the Alchemical Manuscript. Newman, B. (2005). PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/newton/alch-guide.html.
   5. The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony. Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/triumphal-chariot-antimony-Basilius-Valentinus/dp/B0141WZQ7O.
   6. Antimony Trioxide. Proposition 65. (N/D). https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/fact-sheets/antimony-trioxide.
   7. Fire Extinguisher Types. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). (N/D). https://www.nfpa.org/en.

About the Contributors: Leart has had long standing ties to the University of Toledo, graduting with his PhD in Chemistry in '24. Although Brit graduated with her PhD in Chemistry Education in '24 from Michigan State University, she is connected to the university through taking graduate classes in the past, as well as currently leading the Instrumentation Centers SCOPE program. They both love the campus and the people in it! 

Watch this interesting video about Antimony!

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