El antimonio es un elemento químico de número atómico 51 situado en el grupo 15 de la tabla periódica de los elementos. Su nombre y abreviatura (Sb) procede de estibio, término hoy ya en desuso, que a su vez procede del latín stibium ("Banco de arena gris brillante"), de donde se deriva la palabra estibio. Este elemento semimetálico tiene cuatro formas alotrópicas. En su forma estable es un metal blanco azulado. El antimonio negro y el amarillo son formas no metálicas inestables. Principalmente se emplea en aleaciones metálicas y algunos de sus compuestos para dar resistencia contra el fuego, en pinturas, cerámicas, esmaltes, vulcanización del caucho y fuegos artificiales.

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Antimony is a chemical element with symbol Sb (from Latin: stibium) and atomic number 51. A lustrous gray metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite (Sb2S3). Antimony compounds have been known since ancient times and were powdered for use as medicine and cosmetics, often known by the Arabic name, kohl.; metallic antimony was also known, but it was erroneously identified as lead upon its discovery. In the West, it was first isolated by Vannoccio Biringuccio and described in 1540. For some time, China has been the largest producer of antimony and its compounds, with most production coming from the Xikuangshan Mine in Hunan. The industrial methods for refining antimony are roasting and reduction with carbon or direct reduction of stibnite with iron. The largest applications for metallic antimony is an alloy with lead and tin and the lead antimony plates in lead–acid batteries. Alloys of lead and tin with antimony have improved properties for solders, bullets and plain bearings. Antimony compounds are prominent additives for chlorine and bromine-containing fire retardants found in many commercial and domestic products. An emerging application is the use of antimony in microelectronics.

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