Antimony (Element)
What is Antimony?
Have you ever wondered how some of our everyday objects are made? Have you ever thought about the components inside of your computer or what makes up your batteries?
Antimony is one of those components that makes up the things we use and take for granted every day, but very few people can name what it is.
What to Know About Antimony
Antimony is a metalloid found in more than 100 different mineral sources, but it is not a highly abundant element by itself. We find Antimony primarily in the naturally occurring element stibnite.
Antimony is found in type metal, which is an alloy made of lead, antimony, and tin used to make type characters for printing. Its presence in type metal increases the hardness of the type and gives it a sharp definition.
We also mainly find antimony used as an alloy.
What is an Alloy?
An alloy is created when different metals and/or nonmetals get mixed. Alloys help to strengthen other metals and increase their hardness.
It’s surprising where alloys can be found. From bullets to semiconductor devices to paint and pottery, alloys are highly prevalent in our everyday lives. We can find antimony in them all.
All the ways we use alloys and antimony can lead to a lot of waste. When it comes to electronics, it is called e-waste. E-waste is one of the most prominent types of waste in the world.
Think about the components inside your computer when something breaks down or when you have to replace your cell phone or computer. What happens to those components once they can’t be used anymore? E-waste is a big problem today for our environment.
Can E-Waste Be Recycled?
The world generates roughly 44.7 million tons of e-waste every year. And most of it does not end up being recycled. It ends up in the great unknown or, more likely, landfills. E-waste ends up in landfills because people don’t realize e-waste recycling is a thing that everyone can do.
Much of what is in the components of our electronics are recyclable when we are no longer able to use it. Everything from hard drives to motherboards, to the monitors themselves, are e-waste when they stop working but could be recycled. We are all about reducing waste and saving the planet; this should include e-waste.
Computer Recycling
Electronics are also recyclable, like plastic, paper, and soda cans. Not recycling e-waste has just as much of an impact on our environment as not recycling your old water bottles.
E-waste recycling is essential in the corporate world. Computer recycling should be a massive part of any corporation’s sustainability plan.
Some of the products that fall under e-waste and computer recycling include:
- Desktops
- Monitors
- Laptops
- Printers
- Keyboards
We find Antimony in the diodes on the circuit boards that help all of these components run. Antimony is also found in laptop batteries, as well as other types of batteries.
Disposing of Antimony and Other E-Waste
Like our trash, there is a right way and a wrong way to dispose of e-waste. Despite governments worldwide trying to reign in the amount of e-waste created annually, it remains a monumental task. We must handle E-waste recycling in an environmentally friendly manner.
That is where Newtech Recycling can help. Newtech Recycling helps businesses of all sizes reduce their e-waste by recycling old computers and other electronics. We take the security of your organization very seriously.
Newtech Recycling ensures that all data on any computer equipment gets destroyed before the components are recycled. Don’t wait; call Newtech Recycling today!