Stibnite, sometimes called antimonite, is a sulfide mineral with the

formula In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwee ...

Sb₂ S₃. This soft grey material crystallizes in an

orthorhombic In crystallography, the orthorhombic crystal system is one of the 7 crystal systems. Orthorhombic lattices result from stretching a cubic lattice along two of its orthogonal pairs by two different factors, resulting in a rectangular prism with a r ...

space group. It is the most important source for the

metalloid A metalloid is a type of chemical element which has a preponderance of material property, properties in between, or that are a mixture of, those of metals and nonmetals. There is no standard definition of a metalloid and no complete agreement on ...

antimony. The name is derived from the Greek στίβι ''stibi'' through the Latin ''stibium'' as the former name for the mineral and the element antimony.

Structure

Stibnite has a structure similar to that of arsenic trisulfide, As₂S₃. The Sb(III) centers, which are pyramidal and three-coordinate, are linked via bent two-coordinate sulfide ions. However, some studies suggest that the actual coordination polyhedra of antimony are SbS₇, with (3+4) coordination at the M1 site and (5+2) at the M2 site. Some of the secondary bonds impart cohesion and are connected with packing. Stibnite is grey when fresh, but can turn superficially black due to oxidation in air.

Properties

The melting point of Sb₂S₃ is . The band gap is 1.88 eV at room temperature and it is a photoconductor.

Uses

Pastes of Sb₂S₃ powder in fat or in other materials have been used since ca. 3000 BC as eye cosmetics in the Mediterranean and farther afield; in this use, Sb₂S₃ is called

kohl Kohl may refer to: *Kohl (cosmetics), an ancient eye cosmetic *Kohl (surname), including a list of people with the surname *Kohl's Kohl's (stylized in all caps) is an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl's Corporation. ...

. It was used to darken the brows and lashes, or to draw a

line Line most often refers to: * Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity * Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to: Arts ...

around the perimeter of the eye. Antimony trisulfide finds use in pyrotechnic compositions, namely in the glitter and fountain mixtures. Needle-like crystals, "Chinese Needle", are used in glitter compositions and white pyrotechnic stars. The "Dark Pyro" version is used in flash powders to increase their sensitivity and sharpen their report. It is also a component of modern safety matches. It was formerly used in flash compositions, but its use was abandoned due to toxicity and sensitivity to

static electricity Static electricity is an imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material or between materials. The charge remains until it is able to move away by means of an electric current or electrical discharge. Static electricity is na ...

. Stibnite was used ever since protodynastic Ancient Egypt as a medication and a cosmetic. The '' Sunan Abi Dawood'' reports, “prophet Muhammad said: 'Among the best types of

collyrium In eye care, collyrium is an antique term for a lotion or liquid wash used as a cleanser for the eyes, particularly in diseases of the eye. The word ''collyrium'' comes from the Greek , eye-salve. The same name was also given to unguents used for ...

is antimony (''ithmid'') for it clears the vision and makes the hair sprout.'” The 17th century alchemist

Eirenaeus Philalethes George Starkey (1628–1665) was a Colonial American alchemist, medical practitioner, and writer of numerous commentaries and chemical treatises that were widely circulated in Western Europe and influenced prominent men of science, including Rober ...

, also known as George Starkey, describes stibnite in his alchemical commentary ''An Exposition upon Sir George Ripley's Epistle''. Starkey used stibnite as a precursor to philosophical mercury, which was itself a hypothetical precursor to the Philosopher's stone.

Occurrence

Stibnite occurs in hydrothermal deposits and is associated with realgar, orpiment, cinnabar,

galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It cryst ...

, pyrite, marcasite, arsenopyrite,

cervantite Cervantite is an antimony oxide mineral with formula Sb3+Sb5+O4 ( antimony tetroxide). It was first described in 1850 for an occurrence in Cervantes, Sierra de Ancares, Lugo, Galicia, Spain, and named for the locality. The mineral was questio ...

stibiconite Stibiconite is an antimony oxide mineral with formula: Sb3O6(OH). Its name originates from Greek "stibi" (antimony) and "konis" (powder), alluding to its composition and habit. It is a member of the pyrochlore super group. Discovery and occurren ...

calcite Calcite is a Carbonate minerals, carbonate mineral and the most stable Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on ...

ankerite Ankerite is a calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese carbonate mineral of the group of rhombohedral carbonates with the chemical formula . In composition it is closely related to dolomite, but differs from this in having magnesium replaced by varyin ...

barite Baryte, barite or barytes ( or ) is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate ( Ba S O4). Baryte is generally white or colorless, and is the main source of the element barium. The ''baryte group'' consists of baryte, celestine (strontium sulfate), ...

and chalcedony. Small deposits of stibnite are common, but large deposits are rare. It occurs in Canada, Mexico, Peru,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, Germany, Romania, Italy, France, England, Algeria, and

Kalimantan Kalimantan () is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area. The non-Indonesian parts of Borneo are Brunei and East Malaysia. In Indonesia, "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo. In 2019, ...

, Borneo. In the United States it is found in Arkansas, Idaho, Nevada, California, and Alaska. As of May 2007, the largest specimen on public display (1000 pounds) is at the

American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...

. The largest documented single crystals of stibnite measured ~60×5×5 cm and originated from different locations including Japan, France and Germany. File:StibineRoumanie.jpg, Stibnite from Herja mine, Romania File:Stibnite-Calcite-203075.jpg, Needles of stibnite within a transparent crystal of calcite (size: 4.5×3.5×1.8 cm) File:Stibnite-21985.jpg, Ray of sharp, striated, iridescent metallic stibnite blades

References

External links