3J1 



ANTIMONY. 



ANTIMONY (MKDirAI. I'sKs 



a:e 



uatt-d with carbonate of oda, and hatted in cruciUm ; and the 

 oxide U reduced to the metallic state by the carbon, then the culphuret 

 U oonrerted into oxide by the carbonate of soda. Ai it oocun in com- 

 tnerce the metal contain* bad. iron, sulphur, and anenic, from which 

 it may be freed by fusion with 10 per cent, of nitre. 



Antimony h a silver white colour, of great liutre, and a fractura 

 varying from broad lamina tnd to granular crystalline, according to the 

 rapidity with which it luu been cooled ; it crystalliaes mostly in acute 

 rhocnbobedrons. It is very brittle, and easily powdered. IU sp. gr. varies 

 from 70 to 8-86 ; it hue* at 778' K, and does not expand on cooling. 

 At a whit* heat it can be distilled in an atmosphere of hydrogen. It 

 does not sensibly alter in the nir at ordinary temperature*, but readily 

 oxidises when melted in contact with air. Its symbol in 8b (itil,i,<in ). 

 and its atomic weight 120-3 (Scheeren). In its chemical relation* it 

 is closely allied to nitrogen, phosphorus, and arsenic. 



Ofide of Antimony Antim-mic O.riile (SbO,) occurs native as white 

 antimony ore. When antimony in heated in an imperfectly closed 

 crucible, this substance is deposited on the Hides in the form of bril- 

 liant white prismatic crystals, which have been called aryattinr Juirrrt 

 nf antimony. Thug prepared it often contains luitimoniate of oxide of 

 antimony ; and the purest oxide is obtained by digesting oxychloride 

 of antimony with a solution of carbonate of soda, and carefully washing 

 and drying the residue. 



Oxide of antimony in of a grayish colour. Heated in contact with tlie 

 air it U resolved into uiitimoniate of oxide of antimony, it is insoluble 

 in water, but is dissolved by dilute nitric .iinl hydroi -lilorir acids, and 

 by strong nitric acid is oxidised to antimonic acid. It is a feeble base, 

 and unites with acids to form salts of oxide of antimony, w liii-h liave a 

 weak metallic taste, and act as emetics. The most ini)>ortant of 

 these, and indeed the most ini|>ortaiit cunipound of antimony, tartar 

 tmetir, SbO,, KO,C.H,0, , 2HO, ia a combination of tartaric acid with 

 |mtash and oxide of antimony. It is prepared by boiling oxide of 

 antimony, or glass of antimony, with cream of tartar; the solution 

 filtered hot, dejwsita on cooling white brilliant octohedra, which are 

 the salt in question. The neutral salts of antimonic oxide are decom- 

 posed by excess of water into a free acid, which retains some of the 

 oxide in solution, and into a basic salt which precipitates. The addi- 

 tion of tartaric acid prevents this precipitation. Sulphuretted hydro- 

 L'en produces in acid solutions of teroxide of antimony, an orange- 

 coloured precipitate of tersulphide of antimony soluble in potash, and 

 sulphide of ammonium. 



Anllm'tnir Arid (SbO 3 ) is prepared by dissolving antimony in aqua 

 regia, evaporating to dryness, and calcining the residue at a temjiurature 

 below redness. Thus obtained it is anhydrous, and is a white powder, 

 which when strongly heated gives off oxygen, and is converted into an 

 intermediate oxide, 8bO 4 . It is also insoluble in water, but when boiled 

 with alkalies or alkaline carljonatvs, it gradually dissolves, and from 

 this solution acids precipitate the hydrated antimonic acid, SbO,,H(). 

 It is a monobasic acid, and the general formula of the antimoniates in 

 the anhydrous condition is MO^hO,. Antimonic acid is also ob- 

 tained when peiitachloride of antimony U decomposed by excess of 

 water ; 



SbCI, + 'HO = SbO,, SIIO + SHC1 



PcnUchloride 

 of Antimony. 



Water. 



Mctantimonic 

 Acid. 



Hydrochloric 

 Acid. 



But the acid thus prepared differs from the former one in being 

 It forms salts which have the general formula, 2MO,Sb0 4 , and 

 it is called metantimonie acid, and its salts mtluati 



moniata. 



AiitimuHiatcofaHtiiHOHic a.ride (SbO,:=SbO f ,8bO,), or antim'iniuvt 

 acid, is formed when either of the two oxides is heated in the air. It 

 is a grayish white, infusible, non- volatile powder, insoluble in water. 

 Win TI treated with tartaric acid, teroxide of antimony is dissolved, and 

 antimonic acid left; while treatment with alkalies removes antimonic 

 acid and leaves antimonic oxi<lr. 



Antimony forms with chlorine two compounds, the terchloride and 

 tin- |H-nUchloriile. 



TtrrlJ'irt'l' / |SbCI,) may be prepared by mixing one part 



of metallic antimony with two parts of chloride of mercury, ami sub- 

 mitting the mixture to distillation in a retort. The chloride distils 

 over as a buttery max, which becomes crystalline in solidifying. From 

 iU appearance the term butter nf iiiiiininiii/ is derived ; the substance 

 occurring in commerce under this name is a more or lens concentrated 

 solution of the terchloride in hydrochloric arid, and is usually pre- 

 pared by treating native sulphun-t of antimony with strong hydro- 

 chloric acid. 



Sulpburet of 

 Antimony. 



JIIC1 



Hydrochloric 

 Acid. 



SbCI, 



3SII 



Terchloride of Sulphuretted 

 Antimony. Hydrogen. 



It i used as a caustic in veterinary surgery, and is also employed for 

 bronnng gun-barrels ; in which latter case it act* bythedeWMtMlo 

 thin him of antimony, which protects the barrel from oxidation. 



Terchloride of antimony is very deliquescent ; when treated with a 

 small quantity of water it dissolves, but on the addition of a larger 

 quantity, a white flocculent precipitate is formed, which changes after 



some time to a crystalline powder. This U the povdrr of algarolli, 

 an autiiuonial preparation, i. nn.-ily of great importance; it is a com- 

 pound of teruxide of antimony with > U.-P ,-i.- ..f antimony, its formula 

 being SbClj + SSbO,. The flooouleot precipitate which at tirst forms is 

 mnmiVirnd to be an oxychloridc. S1.O.CI. 



iilr of antimony (Sl.cl i i- prepared by distilling antimony 

 in a current of chloiine ; the OOOMBMien is effected with disengage- 

 ment of heat, and the penfcu-hloride distils over as a mobile, pale 

 yellow liquid, which emits white fumes in the air. and has * - 

 disagreeable smell. It attracts moisture from the atmosphere, an<l. by 

 a larger quantity of water, is decomposed into antimonic and hjdro- 

 hloric acids. Peutachloride ef antimony readily gives up part of 

 its chlorine; on |ing olefiajit gas through it, chl hylene 



(C.H.Cy, Dutch liquid, is formed, and phosgene gas (C,O,C1.) is pro- 

 duced when carbonic oxide (CO) is conduct. -I, dry 

 sulphuretted hydrogen it forms a white crystalline coui|>ou!id, tin- 

 sulphochloride of antimony (SbSjCl,), analogous to the sulphochloridr 

 of phosphorus. 



Bromine and iodine form with antimony respectively the trrl, 

 and trriotliilr of antimony (SbBr v and 8bl_). 



Antimony forms with sulphur two sulphides of antimony (SUS, and 

 SbS,), corresponding t<> antimonic oxide and antimonic acid. The 

 tersulphide occurs native; it is of a leaden gray colour, with radiating 

 crystalline fracture and metallic aspect. \Vhcn heated in 

 vessels it melts and crystallises in striated masses. It may 1* pic- 

 pared by heating together antimony and sulphur. \Vln-n he.it<-d in the 

 air it absorbs oxygen, and become." converted into oxide of antimony, 



nntimnin/. Native tersulphide of antimony is used as an ingredient 

 in Bengal fire. 



Tertii//Jiiilr nfaiitiainiiii (SKS,) is formed as a characteristic orange- 

 rcd precipitate, when sulphuretted hydrogen is passed through U 

 solution of antimonic oxide. It dissolves readily in alkalies luid alka- 

 line sulphides, and U again precipitated by acids. 



Kermft mineral, a preparation occasionally used in medicine, con- 

 sists essentially of the hydrated termdphide mixed or . ombim-d with 

 teroxide of antimony and sometimes sulphantinionic acid. It may ! 

 ].i-c|nn-d in the moist way by Isiiling native tersulphide of antin'iony 

 in line I'owder with solution of carbonate of soda ; the solution di ] 

 'i cooling, the kermes as a red .unorphous jmwiler. 



i'nttiuii/filiitlc HfiiHtiiiK'Ui/ (SliS.I. or tnliJutntiul'iiiir acid, is formed 

 when sulpliuretttnl hyilrogcn gas is jiassed through solution of jienU- 

 chloride of antimony. U ii* a yellowish led pni-ipitate. which readily 

 dissolves in alkalies and in alkaline sulphides ; with the latter it I'orms 

 sulphur salts, which frequently crystallise well. A //,/m/, 'nun 

 tttl/ihiilr af tmtinm, occasionally nsol in medicine, forms pale yellow 

 crystals, which have the formula 3NaS, SUSj-f 18HO. 



.{n'iiii'iiiinritli'il Ini'lro'jiii (SbH.,*. When an alloy of xinc. and anti- 

 mony is treated with dilute sulphuric acid, or when a solution oi 

 teroxide of antimony is added to dilute sulphuric acid and zinc, tin- 

 gas disengaged consists of hydrogen containing a small proportion of 

 antimoniiiretted hydrogen. The gag has an alliaceous odour, and 

 imparts to the flame of the hydrogen a livid white appearance. \Vhcn 

 passed through a heated narrow tube, or when its Maine impinges on 

 a cold iHircelain plate, a mirror of reduced antimony is dcposit<il. The 

 gas has not been obtained pure, but its coin]Hsitioii is most proKibly 

 Nidi . It i analogous to ammonia and phosphuretted hydi 



When antimony is alloyed with other nn-t.-ils.it generally i. 

 them harder and more brittle. By far the most important alloy i, that. 

 of antimony and lead, which forms type mitu/ : it contains \7 to -_'o 

 per cent, of antimony. This alloy expands at the moment of solidifi- 

 cation, and takes a very sharp impression of the mould. 



Mr. Gore has recently found, that when nntimony i- !.. -irolytii-allv 

 deposited from a solution of three or four parts of tin m oiie 



|wut of butter of antimony, it possesses most singular pro) 

 friction, by scratching, or by feeble percussion, it is reduced top 

 with a sufficient disengagement of heat to melt tin, and a 

 explosion accompanied by the emission of white vajmnrs. The *ani" 

 phenomena take place when it is immersed in water of ~:< (' . which is 

 then found to contain hydrochloric acid and oxychlovide of antimony. 



Tin- eoni|iounds of antimony are recognised by the characi- 

 colour of the precipitates produced by sulphuretted hydrogen in their 

 solutions. 



ANTIMONY (MICDICAI. TSKS <>K>. Though the introduction of 

 antimony into the numlx-r of medicinal agents was very violently 

 opposed, and even decrees by the Parliament of Paris were , 

 against its use, it is now justly regarded as a most valuable rcn,. 

 many dinoaws. As antimony cannot produce any t-lli-ct on the human 

 unless when so prepared as to be ca|nhle of decomposition by 

 the fluids of the body, the birtariscd form, Wing the most 

 pro|>erly siq>cr.'d,d the oth.-i-. lt< action .. id.ng to the 



dose, the mode of administration, and the state of the svst.in when H 

 is cxhibitcil. In very small doses, it seems to increase tin 

 the function of secretion, particularly of the mucous nn-ml 

 hence it occasions a flow of thin fluid from these surfaces, which foim 

 Un> inner lining of the lungs and intestinal canal ; and also an in 



