Everything about Antimony Trioxide totally explained
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Antimony trioxide is the
chemical compound with the
formula Sb
2O
3. It is the most important commercial compound of
antimony.
Preparation
As the primary oxide of antimony, Sb
2O
3 is prepared by burning elemental antimony in air:
» 4Sb + 3O
2 → 2Sb
2O
3
Alternatively,
antimonide minerals can be roasted to give the same products.
Structure
The structure of Sb
2O
3 depends on the temperature of the sample. Only at very high temperatures does the molecule Sb
2O
3 exist. At moderate temperatures, the gas consists of Sb
4O
6. These molecules are bicyclic cages, similar to the related oxide of phosphorus,
phosphorus trioxide. The cage structure is retained in a solid that crystallizes in a cubic habit. The Sb-O distance is 1.977 Å and the O-Sb-O angle of 95.6°. This materials exists in nature as the
mineral senarmontite. Below 606 °C, the more stable form of is
orthorhombic, consisting of pairs -Sb-O-Sb-O- chains that are linked by oxide bridges between the Sb centers. This form exists in nature as the mineral
valentinite.
Antimony trioxide is an
amphoteric oxide, dissolving in alkaline solution to give
antimonites and in acid solution to given a range of polyantimonous acids. It can be readily oxidized to antimony pentoxide or other antimony(V) compounds, but is also easily reduced to antimony, sometimes with production of
stibine.
Uses
The annual consumption of antimony trioxide in the
United States is approximately 10,000
tonnes.
Toxicology
Antimony trioxide is only weakly absorbed by the digestive system, and the main route of exposure is by inhalation of the dust. The elimination of antimony from the body is slow, leading to a risk of chronic toxicity in the form of
pneumoconiosis with repeated inhalation exposures. Acute poisoning is very rare, and the signs are fairly non-characteristic (
vomiting, abdominal pain, irritation of the
mucous membranes,
diarrhea, cardiac irregularities). These symptoms are more often associated with ingestion of other more water soluble compounds.
Chronic poisoning by antimony trioxide is also rare. The main signs are irritation of the respiratory tract and of the skin and a characteristic
pneumoconiosis, which is visible on chest X-rays.
Antimony trioxide is known to pass into
breast milk and to transverse the
placenta only in very small amounts. One study of exposed female workers suggested a higher incidence than usual of
menstrual problems and of late-term
miscarriages; also their children may have developed slower than usual during the first twelve months of life, although this study is inconclusive. A more recent developmental study in rodents didn't confirm an effect on mammalian development.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Antimony Trioxide'.
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