Sodium Silicate

Sodium silicate also known as waterglass or liquid glass is an aqueous solution in solid form, which when pure, appears colourless or white, but commercial samples are often greenish or blue owing to the presence of iron-containing impurities.

A well known member of this chemical compound is sodium metasilicate. Sodium silicate is a white powder that is readily soluble in water, producing an alkaline solution. They are used in cements, passive fire protection, textile and lumber processing, refractories and automobiles.

The largest application of sodium silicate solutions is cement for producing cardboard. Sodium silicate is frequently used in drilling fluids to stabilize borehole wells and to avoid the collapse of bore walls. It is particularly useful when drill holes pass through argillaceous formations containing swelling clay minerals such as smectite or montmorillonite.

Concrete treated with a sodium silicate solution helps to significantly reduce porosity in most masonry products such as concrete, stucco, plasters. A chemical reaction occurs with the excess Ca (OH) 2 (portlandite) present in the concrete that permanently binds the silicates with the surface making them far more durable and water repellent. These coatings are known as silicate mineral paint.

In water treatment, sodium silicate or water glass is used as coagulant/flocculant agent in waste water treatment plants.

Sodium silicate is used, along with magnesium silicate, in muffler repair and fitting paste. Sodium silicate gel is also used as a substrate for algal growth in aquaculture hatcheries. A mixture of sodium silicate and sawdust has been used in between the double skin of certain safes. This not only makes them more fire resistant, but also makes cutting them open with an oxyacetylene torch extremely difficult due to the smoke emitted.

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