Can antimony be used for solar energy?

Energy storage is another area where antimony shines. Liquid-metal batteries, a promising solution for storing solar energy, depend on antimony’s unique properties. These batteries enable efficient capture and distribution of excess solar power, addressing the intermittency challenges of renewable energy sources.

Does antimony improve battery performance?

Antimony plays a crucial role in enhancing these batteries' performance and longevity. When alloyed with lead at concentrations typically between 1-3%, antimony delivers several significant benefits: These improvements come with trade-offs, including slightly increased water consumption and self-discharge rates.

Why is antimony a good material?

While antimony's cosmetic status has waned over the past five millennia, the metalloid's ability to resist heat and corrosion, make stronger lead alloys, produce clearer glass for high-tech devices, and store renewable energy has created new uses for the ancient metal.

Where is antimony used today?

"Today, antimony is used in lead-acid storage batteries for backup power and transportation; in chemicals, ceramics, and glass; in flame-retardant materials; and in heat stabilizers and plastics," according to the USGS.

Is antimony in a lithium ion battery?

Over the past decade, antimony appeared in over a thousand U.S. electrical applications patents. Liquid metal batteries (LMBs), an emerging battery technology, incorporates antimony in the cathodic material.2 The all-liquid contents of LMBs have longer life cycles than contemporary lithium-ion batteries.

What are the metallurgical benefits of antimony?

The metallurgical benefits of antimony arise from its tendency to form intermetallic phases within alloy systems. In pewter, for example, antimony creates SbSn compounds that provide structural reinforcement while maintaining the material's characteristic luster and workability. Antimony alloys serve diverse functions across multiple industries: