Antimony oxide is a flame retardant synergist so it cannot be used by itself as a flame retardant. The antimony is paired with a halogenated compound which is the actual flame retardant. The presence of the antimony allows you to use half as much halogen as you would otherwise to achieve the same level of flame protection. You will find the antimony/halogen combination used in a very wide variety of applications. Polyurethanes, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), epoxies, ethylene propylene diene M-class rubber (EPDM), phenolics, acrylnitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) are just a few of the plastics that use it. Plastics companies use many additives like antimony trioxide fire inhibitor synergist in a variety of ways. You can buy antimony trioxide in large supersacks or multi-walled paper bags of various sizes. You can sometimes find it in drums or kegs. This is similar to how halogen flame retardants are sold. However, some companies will sell the products already mixed together in the appropriate ratios in a liquid dispersion for easier handling.
Another use of antimony trioxide is as a clarifying agent for glass. Many glass manufacturers purchase antimony oxide clarifying agent to help with the quality of their product. The clarifying agent is added to glass to make it clear from inclusions and clear in color. The bubbles, inclusions, and colors that the glass maker does not want in the final product are removed by adding the antimony during the meltdown process. If there was no clarifying agent, the natural impurities in sand would turn glass light green or light blue. Some clarifying agents have problems of their own because over time they react with ultraviolet light, but antimony trioxide is not one of these. One example is with manganese oxide which turns the glass purple over time as it starts to break down.
Antimony is also used as a catalyst in the polymerization of polyethylene terephthalate or PET.The polymerization of polyethylene terephthalate or PET requires a catalyst and antimony is used for that purpose as well. PET is what is used to make water bottles or other containers. Antimony that is used as a catalyst is usually of higher purity than the product used for glass or flame retardants. Many PET plants use antimony because it has a good cost to performance ratio. Other catalysts may work better than antimony but not enough because they are still too expensive.
One final use of antimony trioxide is as a pigment. The most common industries to use it for that purpose are the porcelain and enamel industries that use it as an opacifier. Companies can purchase antimony is many ways like as a antimony trioxide flame retardant and as a result it is used in many final products. Almost everyone will come into contact with a product that used antimony oxide in the manufacturing process or contains antimony trioxide purposefully every day. It is a very useful material.
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