Sodium Silicate

Sodium Silicate is an inorganic chemical wherein its formulations varies depending on amount of Na₂O and SiO₂. This compound is well known as Water Glass in industries.

Water Glass is a lump like substance and has various applications like making of silica gel beads or packets to protect clothing and electronics from moisture. It’s also effective in passive fire protection, making of cement, stabilizing boreholes while drilling wells, in the cardboard manufacturing, as a flocculent in wastewater treatment. It can also be applied in food preservation, processing of lumber and textile and for automotive repair.

Sodium Silicate is also available in semi-liquid form. It is produced by dissolving water glass. This is moderate to highly alkaline. This property supports to remove oil and fats in detergents, neutralization of acids as well as division of starches and proteins. And it is also widely used for bleaching the paper pulp and deinking the waste paper in paper industry.

Dissolved water glass is also useful in municipal water supplies as well as wastewater treatment. It aids in formation of loose agglomerations of particles through absorption of metallic ions.

Liquid Sodium Silicate forms a hard, glassy gel under acidic conditions. This property makes it valuable as bonding agent in cemented products such as concrete and abrasive wheels. It is also an excellent adhesive for porcelain and glass.