Antimony molten salt batteriesĪmbri Incorporated, a US-based energy storage company, has developed a long-duration liquid metal battery technology for the power grid with backing from prominent investors, including Bill Gates, Khosla Ventures, and SoftBank Group, and funding from the US Department of Energy.Īmbri’s battery technology uses solid antimony as the positive electrode, liquid metal calcium as the negative electrode, and a salt electrolyte consisting of calcium and chloride. Its heat retardant properties enable the mass scalability of batteries, making it the only metal capable of achieving this goal. The future increase in demand for antimony lies in its potential to become a crucial component in battery technology.Īntimony’s unique property as a heat retardant is essential in preventing thermal runaway in batteries, making it a crucial element in the development of effective energy storage systems. When alloyed with lead, it is found in metal products used in ammunition and lead-acid batteries.Īs we strive towards transitioning to a carbon-free society, it is essential not only to harness renewable energy but also to store it efficiently. It is also used in brake pads, ceramics, glass for televisions and monitors, and rubber. The importance of antimonyĬurrently, Antimony is primarily used as a flame retardant in items such as paints, plastics, and textiles. Media attention seems focused on the battery metals required for electric vehicles (“EVs”), including lithium, cobalt, graphite, and rare earths, but antimony was one of the few metals that is on all of the critical metals lists across Australia, Canada, China, the EU, Japan, and the USA. Supply chain disruptions and geopolitical concerns caused Western governments to re-examine the source of critical metals that will drive the economic engine for decades to come.

Antimony price