Products
• Liquid sodium silicate
• Solid sodium silicate
Properties of sodium silicate
Sodium silicates are stable in neutral and alkaline solutions. In acidic solutions, silicate ions react with hydrogen isotopes to form silica acids that tend to decompose into hydrated dioxide gels. Due to the irritability of hot water, the result is a clear hard substance called silica gel, which is widely used as a desiccant.
Sodium silicate is fire resistant. In each production route, the higher the SiO2 to Na2O ratio, the higher the concentration of both substances and the more viscous the solution. The viscosity of the product is due to the formation of silicate polymers, in fact silicon (Si) and oxygen (O) atoms by covalent bonds to negatively charged chain structures or rings containing positive sodium ions as well as water molecules are connected.
Highly viscous solutions can be spray dried to hydrate sodium silicate glass beads. Sodium silicate is similar to carbon-based plastics because the silicon-silicon bonds between each monomer are covalent. Liquid sodium silicate reacts under acidic conditions to form a hard glass gel. Liquid silicate is inexpensive and can be easily stored at room temperature.