Antimony: Lesser Known, Yet Highly Critical
Despite its designation as a critical mineral in the US, Canada, Australia and the EU, antimony remains largely unknown.
Although it may seem less popular than its hyped-up counterparts like rare earths and lithium, antimony’s industrial and strategic importance cannot be ignored. Antimony has for decades been crucial to countless sectors, and its military applications made US-produced antimony crucial to the Second World War.
Now, as the world moves towards a future defined by clean energy and decarbonization, it’s arguably more important than ever — and a compelling addition to any investment portfolio.
Antimony: An overview
A silvery-blue metalloid element, antimony is primarily found in the mineral ore known as stibnite — a steel-gray sulfide that largely forms in hydrothermal deposits alongside gneiss, limestone and granite. In addition to stibnite, the element also occurs in over a hundred different minerals, including kermesite, argentiferous tetrahedrite, jamesonite and livingstonite. Although it is brittle and flaky, antimony is regarded for its strengthening and hardening capabilities as an alloying agent.
Antimony has a history that spans millennia. There are historical records of multiple civilizations using the element in both its metallic and sulfide form for everything from pottery to medical remedies and makeup. Records from the 15th century also indicate that antimony was used in various alchemical practises, as well as in alloys for products such as mirrors and bells.
Yet for all its applications, antimony was not generally regarded as a critical strategic resource until sometime around the 1900s. That is when the element began being used in a range of different military applications, owing to its role in the creation of tungsten steel and as a hardening agent for lead. Today, antimony is used in precision optics, night-vision goggles, armor-piercing rounds, explosives, hardened lead, ammunition primers, infrared sensors, military clothing, communications equipment and even nuclear weaponry.
The US was initially reliant on China for antimony. However, the outbreak of the Second World War saw US supply of antimony cut off by Japan. Fortunately, a stibnite mine in Central Idaho was able to cover the supply shortage, fulfilling roughly 90 percent of America’s antimony requirements and producing roughly 40 percent of the required tungsten steel. Unfortunately, that mine ceased operations in 1997.
Today, China maintains a stranglehold on global antimony supply, processing nearly 80 percent of all antimony resources — despite a steadily declining share of global production.
Antimony’s role in electrification
In addition to its military applications, antimony is also required to manufacture semiconductors, electric switches, fluorescent lighting, high-quality clear glass and lithium-ion…
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