Antimony

About: Antimony is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 11450 publications have been published within this topic receiving 155660 citations. The topic is also known as: Sb & element 51.

Antimony sulphide, an absorber layer for solar cell application

Abstract: Replacement of the toxic, expensive and scarce materials with nontoxic, cheap and earth-abundant one, in solar cell absorber layer, is immensely needed to realize the vision of green and sustainable energy. Two-micrometre-thin antimony sulphide film is considered to be adequate as an absorbing layer in solar cell applications. In this paper, we synthesize antimony sulphide thin films on glass substrate by physical vapour deposition technique, and the obtained films were then annealed at different temperatures (150–250 °C). The as-deposited and annealed samples were investigated for structural and optoelectronic properties using different characterization techniques. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the annealed samples were polycrystalline with Sb2S3 phase, while the as-deposited sample was amorphous in nature. The optical properties are measured via optical ellipsometric techniques. The measured absorbance of the film is adequately high, and every photon is found to be absorbed in visible and NIR range. The conductivity type of the films measured by hot-point probe technique is determined to be p-type. The optical band gap of the resulted samples was in the range (2.4–1.3 eV) for the as-deposited and annealed films.

A kinetic model for the vacuum refining of inductively stirred copper melts

Abstract: An experimental investigation into the removal of impurities (bismuth, lead, arsenic, and antimony) from baths of molten copper (blister, anode and cathode type copper) under vacuum was carried out. A pilot scale vacuum induction melting facility was used for these tests. The effects of (1) vacuum levels of 8.0 to 40.0 Pascals, (2) melt temperatures of 1150 to 1350 °C, (3) melt surface area to volume ratios of 6 to 10 m−1, (4) a water cooled condenser placed within a distance of two centimeters above the melt surface, and finally, (5) different levels of dissolved oxygen and/or sulfur contained in the melt, were studied. Kinetic data were obtained for evaluating the potential of a full scale vacuum melting facility. A mathematical model was also developed for the proper interpretation of the experimental results and for making projections for lower pressure and higher temperature levels. The rate of removal of bismuth and lead increased as the chamber pressure was lowered and the melt temperature increased, while removal of arsenic and antimony was negligible. Neither the melt surface area to volume ratio nor the distance of the condenser to melt surface had any significant effects on the rate constants governing the rate of removal of impurities. The rate of elimination of bismuth and lead over the range of 1150 to 1350 °C and 40.0 to 8.0 Pa followed first order kinetics. Removal rates were largely controlled by mass transport in the gas phase.

Antimony Content and Speciation in the Water Column and Interstitial Waters of Saanich Inlet

Abstract: A hydride generation method was developed for the determination of Sb(III), Sb(III)-S and Sb(V) species in natural waters, and has been applied to the waters and interstitial waters of Saanich Inlet. In the oxic waters, dissolved antimony exists primarily as Sb(V) (1.2–1.4 nM) with a few percent Sb(III) (.01–.07 nM). Sb(III) production occurs in the photic zone and probably accounts for its concentration at levels greater than those predicted from equilibrium considerations. Even in the low H2S bottom waters, there is no significant reduction of Sb(V) and Sb(III). However, up to 0.15 nM Sb(III)-S species is found there. In the upper 10 cm of the reducing interstitial waters there is a very large release of Sb from the particulate matter. At least 50% of the Sb exists as Sb(III) + Sb(III)-S. The remainder most probably exists as a thioantimonate. This dissolved Sb diffuses to the overlying waters where it is rapidly oxidized to Sb(V). In the deeper portions of the sediment, Sb is resedimented perhaps as a sulfide or associated with iron sulfide precipitation.

Copper and antimony isotopic analysis via multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry for provenancing ancient glass

Abstract: Variations in the isotopic composition of Cu and Sb as determined using multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) have been investigated as a proxy for provenancing ancient glass. Cu and Sb were added during the manufacturing of ancient (pre-Roman and Roman) glass to obtain colour and opacity. In previous work, the analytical methodology for sample digestion and isolation of Sb preceding isotopic analysis via multi-collector ICP-MS was developed. Although applications of Cu isotopic analysis can be found in the literature, this approach has not been used for provenancing glass raw materials yet. Therefore, the protocols for digestion and Cu isolation were optimized and validated, relying on the use of both an in-house multi-elemental standard and NIST SRM 610 glass reference material. The methods for Sb and Cu isotopic analysis were subsequently applied to a series of late Bronze Age Mesopotamian–Egyptian to Hellenistic–Roman glasses. Results obtained show that the isotopic composition of Cu, expressed as δ65Cu, varies from −1.9 to −0.2‰, thus covering a range of approximately 2‰. Unfortunately, the use of Cu isotope ratios to characterize raw materials used in glass manufacturing is complicated by the fact that Cu ores from within a single deposit can exhibit a similar range in δ65Cu values, certainly for co-existing Cu sulfides and oxides. Sb in stibnite ore, on the other hand, only shows a variance in isotopic composition of ∼10 e units (or 0.1‰), but Sb isotopic analysis offers more potential to pinpoint the location of an antimony source used in antiquity.