Antimony: Overview
Flame retardants, batteries and bullets: where antimony goes
What this tab covers What the commodity is used for, why, in what volumes and with what alternatives, and its chain from mine or field to end user. Also the latest price moves, top recent news, three things to know, and buttons into each tab.Key uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flame retardants (antimony trioxide synergist in plastics, textiles, cables and electronics) | 43% | about 47 kt Sb a yearbasis | Antimony trioxide does not stop fire by itself, but with halogenated compounds it multiplies their effect, so small loadings let plastics in electronics, cable sheaths, building materials and fabrics meet fire codes. That mix is cheap and well proven, which keeps it the default flame-retardant system. EU CRM study 2023; USGS MCS 2026 | Hydrated aluminium oxide (alumina trihydrate) (USGS) Organic phosphorus and other halogen-free flame retardants (USGS) Magnesium hydroxide |
| Lead-acid batteries (antimonial lead grids) | 32% | about 35 kt Sb a yearbasis | A few percent of antimony hardens lead grids and posts so they cast well and resist creep in deep-cycle and industrial batteries. Most of this antimony is recycled, because secondary lead smelters recover antimonial lead from spent batteries (USGS). EU CRM study 2023; USGS MCS 2026 | Lead-calcium-tin grid alloys (maintenance-free batteries) (USGS) Lithium-ion batteries (for the application) |
| Lead alloys for ammunition, cable sheathing, bearings and solders | 14% | about 15 kt Sb a yearbasis | Antimony hardens lead for bullets and shot and is used in primers and military infrared and night-vision devices, which makes it a defence metal. The US Department of War has funded new domestic antimony supply for this reason (USGS 2026). EU CRM study 2023; USGS MCS 2026 | Calcium, copper, selenium, sulphur and tin alloys (USGS) Copper and steel projectiles |
| PET polyester catalyst and other plastics uses | 6% | about 7 kt Sb a yearbasis | Antimony triacetate and trioxide catalyse the polymerisation of PET for bottles and polyester fibre at low cost (Pitron 2020 lists PET catalyst as a main use). EU CRM study 2023; Pitron (2020) | Titanium-based catalysts Germanium dioxide catalysts (costlier) |
| Glass and ceramics (fining agent in solar and display glass, enamels and pigments) | 5% | about 5.5 kt Sb a yearbasis | Antimony oxide removes bubbles from molten glass and improves clarity and light transmission, which matters for solar-panel cover glass and phone screens (Scheyder 2024). It is also an opacifier and pigment in enamels. EU CRM study 2023; Scheyder (2024); USGS MCS 2026 | Other fining agents (sulphates, cerium oxide) Chromium, tin, titanium, zinc and zirconium compounds in enamels and pigments (USGS) |
From mine to user
- 1. Mining Stibnite (antimony sulphide) is mined in primary antimony mines in China, Russia, Tajikistan, Bolivia and Burma, and as a by-product of gold and lead mines. World output was 110 kt in 2025 (USGS).
- 2. Concentration Hand sorting, gravity and flotation give concentrates; Chinese 40% Sb concentrates traded at 40,000-41,000 yuan/t in August 2017 (Fastmarkets).
- 3. Smelting Concentrates are volatilised to antimony trioxide or reduced to crude metal in blast and reverberatory furnaces. The US had 700 t of primary smelter output in 2025, from imported feed (USGS).
- 4. Refining Metal is refined to regulus, traded as MMTA Standard Grade II (99.65% Sb) in Rotterdam; trioxide is made for flame retardants.
- 5. Conversion Trioxide is compounded into plastics and textiles; metal is alloyed with lead for batteries and ammunition.
- 6. Recycling Secondary lead smelters recover antimonial lead from spent batteries; this supplied 12% of US apparent consumption in 2025 (USGS).
Price movement snapshot 2026-10-25
No public daily or monthly benchmark price for this commodity in the datasets used.
World production 141k tonnes, 2024 Largest producer China 32.73% of world Reserve life 18 yrs reserves ÷ 2025 outputThree things to know
- The US antimony price averaged $25/lb in 2025, more than double 2024 and over four times 2023's $5.49.
- Idaho's Stibnite site holds about 189 million pounds of antimony alongside its gold (Scheyder, pdf p. 164).
- Antimony was placed on the list created by the 1939 US strategic stockpiling law (Scheyder, pdf p. 159).
Top recent news snapshot 2026-10-25, last 30 days
- Europe’s antimony market faces uncertainty after years of volatilityFastmarkets · 2026-10-15
- North America to drive growth in antimony marketMining Weekly · 2026-10-22
- Larvotto ships first antimony concentrate from Hillgrove mineMining Weekly · 2026-10-14
- United States Antimony at LD Micro event: growth meets price pressure By Investing.comInvesting.com South Africa · 2026-10-21
- Antimony’s role in defence and energy storageMining.com.au · 2026-10-24