6. (Ordinary.) Tin, or hard pewter, with or without a small portion of
antimony or copper. Without the last it is apt to spread out under the
weight of heavy machinery. Used for the bearings of locomotive engines,
&c.
_Obs._ These alloys are usually supported by bearings of brass, into which
it is poured after they have been tinned, and heated and put together with
an exact model of the axle, or other working piece, plastic clay being
previously applied, in the usual manner, as a lute or outer mould. Soft
gun-metal is also excellent, and is much used for bearings. They all
become less heated in working than the harder metals, and less grease or
oil is consequently required when they are used. See ALLOYS, FRICTION, &c.
=ANTIGUG'GLER.= A small bent tube of glass or metal inserted into casks
and carboys, to admit air over the liquor whilst it is being poured out or
drawn off, so that the sediment may not be disturbed.
=ANTIHECTICUM POTERII.= Fuse together 4 parts of regulus of antimony, and
5-1/2 of fine tin; pour it on a metal plate, reduce it to powder, and
deflagrate it in a red-hot crucible with 15 parts of nitre; keep it hot
for some time, then wash it, and dry it with a gentle heat.--_Dose_, two
to ten grains in hectic fevers.
=ANTILITHIC.= See LITHONTRYPTICS.
=ANTIMO''NIAL= (-m[=o]ne'y-'[)a]l).[67] [Eng., Fr.] _Syn._ ANTIMONIA'LIS,
L. Pertaining to, composed of, or containing antimony. In _medicine_ and
_pharmacy_, applied to preparations or remedies (ANTIMO''NIALS;
ANTIMONIA''LIA, L.) in which antimony, or one of its compounds, is the
leading or characteristic ingredient.
[Footnote 67: Antimon'ial (--Mayne) is a barbarism.]
=ANTIMO'NIATED.= _Syn._ ANTIMONIA'TUS, L. Mixed or impregnated with
antimony; antimonial.
=ANTIMON'IC ACID.= _Syn._ ACIDUM ANTIMON'ICUM, L.; ACIDE ANTIMONIQUE, Fr.;
ANTIMONSÄURE, Ger.
_Prep._ 1. Pure metallic antimony, in coarse powder, or small fragments,
is digested in excess of concentrated nitric acid, until the oxidation and
conversion is complete; the excess of nitric acid is then removed by
evaporation nearly to dryness, and the residuum thrown into cold distilled
water; after which the powder (ANTIMONIC ACID) is collected on a calico
filter, washed with distilled water, and dried by a gentle heat. Pure.
2. Metallic antimony (in powder), 1 part; powdered nitre, 6 or 8 parts;
are mixed and ignited or deflagrated in a silver crucible; the mass, when
cold, is powdered; the excess of alkali washed out with hot water, and the
residuum (ANTIMONIATE OF POTASSIUM) decomposed with hydrochloric acid;
lastly, the precipitate (ANTIMONIC ACID) is washed and dried as before.
That obtained by the first process is dibasic, and has the formula
H_{2}Sb_{2}O_{6}, while that produced by the second process is tetrabasic,
and has the formula H_{4}Sb_{2}O_{7}; the former is called simply
antimonic acid, the latter metantimonic acid.
_Prop._ Antimonic acid is a soft white powder, sparingly soluble in water,
reddens litmus, and is dissolved, even in the cold, by strong hydrochloric
acid and by potash. The hydrochloric solution, mixed with a small quantity
of water, yields, after a while, a precipitate of antimonic acid; but if
diluted with a large quantity of water, it remains clear. Ammonia does not
dissolve it in the cold. By heating with a large excess of caustic potash
it is converted into metantimonic acid.
Metantimonic acid is more readily dissolved by acids than antimonic acid,
and is dissolved by ammonia, after a while, even at ordinary temperatures.
It is also perfectly soluble in a large quantity of water, and is
precipitated therefrom by acids. It is very unstable, and easily changes
into antimonic acid, even in water.
=ANTIMONIC ANHYDRIDE= (Sb_{2}O_{5}). _Syn._ ANTIMONIC OXIDE, ANHYDROUS
ANTIMONIC ACID, PENTOXIDE OF ANTIMONY. Antimonic or metantimonic acid,
heated to a temperature below redness, loses water and yields the
anhydride, Sb_{2}O_{5}. Antimonic anhydride is a yellowish-white powder,
tasteless and insoluble in water and acids. Boiled with a solution of
caustic potash, it is dissolved. If fused with carbonate of potassium,
carbonic anhydride is expelled, and a salt is produced from which
antimonic acid is precipitated by acids.
=ANTIMONIOUS ACID.= See ANTIMONY, TETROXIDE of.
=AN'TIMONETTED.= _Syn._ ANTIMO''NIURETTED; ANTIMONIA'TUS, L. Combined with
or containing antimony. See HYDROGEN, &c.
=AN'TIMONY= (-te-m[)u]n-e). _Syn._ METAL'LIC ANTIMONY*, REG'ULUS OF
A.[dagger]; ANTIMO''NIUM, A. METAL'LICUM, STIB'IUM, METAL'LUM
ANTIMO''NII[dagger], A. REG'ULUS[dagger], &c., L.; ANTIMOINE, Fr.;
ANTIMON, SPIESSGLANZ, SPIESSGLAS, SPIESSGLANZMETALL, Ger.; ANTIMONIO, It.,
Sp. The term formerly applied to the native sulphide or greyish-black
semi-crystalline ore of antimony; but now solely appropriated to the pure
metal.
_Sources._ Metallic antimony, in combination with silver and iron (NATIVE
ANTIMONY), with sulphur (GREY SULPHIDE OF A.), or with nickel
(NICKELIF'EROUS SULPHIDE OF A.) is found in Bohemia, Hungary, Germany,
Sweden, France, England, Borneo, and America; and oxidised, combined with
oxide of iron, &c. (ANTIMO''NIAL, O'CHRE, RED ANTIMONY, WHITE A.[68]),
forming ores, either small in quantity or of little value, in various
parts of the world. Of these the only one in sufficient abundance for
smelting is the common sulphide known as 'grey antimony' or 'stibnite.'
[Footnote 68: White A. occurs in considerable quantities in Borneo, and is
used after roasting as a white pigment for iron and other surfaces.]
[Illustration:
_a_, _b_, Grate and fire-place.
_c_, Bridge.
_d_, Air-channel.
_e_, Concave space for ore, resting on a solid bed _f_, formed of
sand and clay.
_g_, Door for introducing the ore, and abstracting residuary slag.
_h_, Pipe to convey away the liquid metal.
_i_, Chimney.]
_Prep._ Native antimony is freed from impurities by fusion. The sulphide,
after being melted from the gangue, is commonly oxidised by exposure on
the concave hearth of a reverberatory furnace, and is then reduced to the
metallic state by fusion in crucibles with coal-dust, crude tartar, or
some other deoxidising agent. To free the product from iron, it is
generally fused, or re-fused, with a little antimonic oxide; and when the
ore contains arsenic, iron, or its oxide, and an alkaline carbonate or
sulphate, are used in the same way. It is seldom prepared on the small
scale. The following formulæ are in use, or are recommended:--