rge scale.

Antimony combines readily with many other metals to form alloys, some of
which find extensive application in the arts. Type-metal is an alloy of
lead with antimony and tin, to which occasionally a small quantity of
copper or zinc is added. The presence of the antimony in this alloy
gives to it hardness, and the property of expanding on solidification,
thus allowing a sharp cast of the letter to be taken. An alloy of tin
and antimony forms the basis of Britannia-metal, small quantities of
copper, lead, zinc or bismuth being added. It is a white metal of bluish
tint and is malleable and ductile. For the linings of brasses, various
white metals are used, these being alloys of copper, antimony and tin,
and occasionally lead.

Antimony is a silvery white, crystalline, brittle metal, and has a high
lustre. Its specific gravity varies from 6.7 to 6.86; it melts at 432
deg. C. (Dalton), and boils between 1090-1600 deg. C. (T. Carnelley), or
above 1300 deg. (V. Meyer). Its specific heat is 0.0523 (H. Kopp). The
vapour density of antimony at 1572 deg. C. is 10.74, and at 1640 deg. C.
9.78 (V. Meyer, _Berichte_, 1889, 22, p. 725), so that the antimony
molecule is less complex than the molecules of the elements phosphorus
and arsenic. An amorphous modification of antimony can be prepared by
heating the metal in a stream of nitrogen, when it condenses in the cool
part of the apparatus as a grey powder of specific gravity 6.22, melting
at 614 deg. C. and containing 98-99% of antimony (F. Herard, _Comptes
Rendus_, 1888, cvii. 420).

Another form of the metal, known as explosive antimony, was discovered
by G. Gore (_Phil. Trans._, 1858, p. 185; 1859, p. 797; 1862, p. 623),
on electrolysing a solution of antimony trichloride in hydrochloric
acid, using a positive pole of antimony and a negative pole of copper or
platinum wire. It has a specific gravity of 5.78 and always contains
some unaltered antimony trichloride (from 6 to 20%, G. Gore). It is very
unstable, a scratch causing it instantaneously to pass into the stable
form with explosive violence and the development of much heat. Similar
phenomena are exhibited in the electrolysis of solutions of antimony
tribromide and tri-iodide, the product obtained from the tribromide
having a specific gravity of 5.4, and containing 18-20% of antimony
tribromide, whilst that from the tri-iodide has a specific gravity of
5.2-5.8 and contains about 22% of hydriodic acid and antimony