Antimony compounds

Antimony Trioxide: Market information

About Antimony

Antimony is a metal naturally found in the earth's crust.

The manufacture of Antimony Trioxide (ATO) involves a reaction of antimony metal with oxygen that results in the formation of a white crystalline powder of a ceramic character.

Total worldwide volume of ATO production was 120.000 tons in 2005.

Uses of Antimony Trioxide

Antimony Trioxide (ATO) provides unique properties not easily obtained through other products when applied in a variety of industrial processes:

Increasing Fire Safety
Ensuring high levels of fire safety for individuals in their home as well as in public places such as cinemas, underground trains and airplanes, has led to international safety standards requiring inherently flammable materials to be treated with flame retardant chemicals. ATO greatly increases flame retardant effectiveness when used as a synergist in combination with halogenated flame retardants in plastics, paints, adhesives, sealants, rubber and textile back coatings.

ATO ensures a high level of resource efficiency and compliance with stringent fire safety standards. For example, it enables the use of certain plastics in consumer products such as computer casings and TV sets that might otherwise pose a great fire hazard.

The Leading Catalyst for Manufacture of PET Plastics
ATO is the major catalyst for the production of PET plastic used in the packaging of mineral water and soft drinks. PET is one of the best materials for plastic bottles, with a history of safe use by millions of consumers every day. ATO's safe use in the production of PET bottles has been confirmed by the World Health Organisation (2003) and the European Food Safety Authority (2004). The use of ATO as a catalyst in PET bottles does NOT impact the safety of the beverages.

ATO is also used as:

• A catalyst in PET fibres and films
• Ingredient in ZnO varistors
• A clarifying aid in certain glasses
• A coating used on certain grades of TiO2 pigments
• A component in the manufacturing of complex inorganic colored rutile pigments
• An opacifier in cast iron bath and sinking enameling

PPCC = pigments/paints/coatings/ceramics