Its biggest application today is as a flame retardant, which accounted for around half of global usage in 2023, according to brokerage CICC.
At the same time, about a fifth of antimony was used to make photovoltaic glass to improve the performance of solar cells. Most of the rest was used in lead-acid batteries.
China is the largest producer of antimony, accounting for 48% of mine production in 2023, followed by Tajikistan at 25%, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data showed.
Antimony has also become increasingly strategic because of its use in military equipment, such as infrared missiles, nuclear weapons and night vision goggles, and as a hardening agent for bullets and tanks.