Viewpoint: Antimony use likely in new technologies

Antimony could be used in several new technologies in coming years, supporting the market for the element even as supply remains tight because of depleted resource around the world.

Antimony is mainly consumed in the alloy and flame retardant industries, where demand has been weak over the past year because of a slowdown in global economic growth, inflation, the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts. But the push towards new energy sources in coming years will bring new opportunities for the antimony industry.

Demand for antimony for sodium antimonate production, an antimony compound used as a cleaning agent in the photovoltaic industry, rose to over 30,000t/yr during 2021 and 2022 from 10,000-20,000t/yr earlier, driven by developments in the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, according to market participants.

Demand is likely to continue rising in coming years, with total antimony consumption from the PV industry expected to reach 47,000t in 2025 following construction of more solar PV projects in new energy industries.

Use in batteries

US-based battery manufacturer Ambri announced in late 2021 that it will manufacture antimony and calcium electrode-based cells and containerised systems that are likely to be more economical than lithium-ion batteries. These battery storage systems are capable of operating safely in any climatic condition, lasting for over 20 years with minimal degradation, Ambri said.

Commercial production of Ambri's batteries in 2023 would boost demand for antimony as a key mineral in its battery chemistry. Ambri has also entered into a long-term antimony supply agreement with US-based mining firm Perpetua Resources to secure a domestic source for its supply chain. But it will take a long time for Perpetua to start mining as it started environmental assessment only in the third quarter of 2022. Demand for antimony is likely to increase if Ambri could begin commercial production next year.

Research indicates that Mn-substituted tunnel-type polyantimonic acid (PAA) confined in a multidimensional integrated architecture enables superfast charging of lithium-ion battery anodes. High area and high volume capacities are very important for developing practical energy storage systems, especially considering the limited area and volume of electronic equipment. Graphite anode, which is commonly used in lithium ion batteries, cannot meet the huge demand for high energy density in the future because of its moderate theoretical quality and volume capacity.

But the Mn-PAA graphene electrode has an excellent mass-volume ratio and 75pc charging capacity in 13 minutes. Further development and commercial production of this electrode can increase demand for antimony from new energy batteries.

Infrared sensors

Infrared sensor producer Phlux Technology uses antimony in infrared sensing. The use of antimony provides 10 times more sensitivity and 50pc more range to sensors compared to silicon-based sensors, improving their performance in radar systems while reducing the cost of manufacturing.

Antimony use opens access to the 1550mn infrared space, which offers higher sensitivity and capacity since it operates in the "eye safe" region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Antimony-based sensors can view farther with greater pixel density at mass market cost, Phlux Technology said.

The company plans to start commercial production in 2023 by focusing on areas such as fabrication, mixed signal circuit design, optics and testing. The company secured £4 mn ($4.89mn) in December 2022 in a seed funding round to bring its sensors to the market.

Prices for 99.65pc grade antimony were range-bound during March-July at a 10-year high because of supply tightness, but subdued demand from both domestic and seaborne consumers resulted in consecutive price falls in August-November, with some sellers eager to offload stocks to boost cash flow. Prices were stable in December 2022, with market participants adopting a wait-and-watch approach given uncertainty caused by Covid-19 restrictions and then relaxation of curbs in China. The market is likely to rise in late December and early January 2023 because of year-end restocking demand, economic stimulus from the Chinese government and new potential applications for antimony. There is further upside potential for prices during the first few months of 2023.