Antimony


 * Background**

Antimony can be found in ores and other minerals. Antimony is used in metal alloys, storage batteries, solder, sheet and pipe metal, ammunition, metal bearings, castings, pewter, fire-retardant in textiles and plastics, paints, ceramics, fireworks, enamels, and glass. Antimony is a natural chemical in the environment. People are exposed to it primarily from food, and less amounts of it in air, and drinking water. Some people breath in more than small amounts of antimony because they work near an industry that processes or releases antimony into the air. Antimony offers a lot of benefits. Antimony by itself is very brittle, but it increases the hardness of other metals like tin and lead. It’s said to be one of our “ancient metals”. As far as I know Antimony isn’t banned anywhere.