Antimony is a metal element with the atomic number of 51. Its chemical symbol, Sb, is taken from the Latin name for the element, stibnium, or stibium. The name is meant to suggest "a metal that does not occur by itself."

Antimony has a bluish-white metallic luster and an atomic weight of 121.757. It is very brittle and has a flaky texture. Its melting point is 1,167°F (630.6°C) and its boiling point, 2,888.6°F (1,587°C). Chemically, antimony is a metalloid, or semi-metal. That is, it may behave either as a metal or as a non- metal, depending on the chemical environment in which it exists.

Compounds of antimony have been used by humans throughout history. The Bible describes--and condemns--the use by some women of a " stibic stone" to paint their faces. The stibic stone was probably made of antimony (III) sulfide, Sb₂S₃, a naturally occurring black...