What is water glass

Water glass is a soluble alkali metal silicate material combining alkali metal oxide and silica, also known as silicate. Water glass can be classified into sodium water glass and potassium water glass according to the type of alkali metal, and its molecular formula is Na2O. nSiO2 and K2O. nSiOz. The coefficient n in the formula is called water glass modulus and is the molecular ratio (or molar ratio) of silicon oxide and alkali metal oxide in water glass. Water glass modulus is an important parameter of water glass, generally between 1.5-3.5. The larger the modulus of water glass, the harder the water glass is, the harder it is to dissolve in water. When n is 1, it can be dissolved at room temperature. When n increases, it needs hot water to dissolve. When n is greater than 3, it needs 4 atm or more steam to dissolve. The larger the modulus of the water glass, the greater the content of silica, the viscosity of the water glass increases, it is easy to decompose and harden, and the adhesive force increases.

Uses: The use of silicates is very extensive, almost all parts of the national economy. The chemical industry is used to manufacture silica silicate, white carbon black, sodium metasilicate, silica sol and other silicate wave products, oil field additives; light industry is detergent, soap and other detergent raw materials, cardboard, carton industry Adhesives; used in the textile industry to assist in dyeing, bleaching and sizing; machinery industry for casting, grinding wheel manufacturing and metal preservatives; in the construction industry for the manufacture of quick-drying cement, acid-resistant cement, refractories, etc.; Can be used as silicon fertilizer. The market has broad prospects and benefits are considerable.

The water glass is in the form of sodium silicate solution, the southern part is called water glass, and the northern part is called silicate alkali. The aqueous solution of sodium silicate is common female water glass, and sodium silicate is a colorless, slightly colored, transparent or translucent viscous liquid in a system using water as a dispersant. Solid sodium silicate is a colorless, slightly colored transparent or translucent glass block. The form is divided into liquid, solid, and water quenched. Theoretically, this type of material is "colloidal."

Ordinary sodium silicate is slightly bluish blue or granular solid, and it is a slightly colored transparent or translucent viscous liquid after dissolution at high temperature and high pressure. [Water glass] is also called “bubble alkali”, and the main component is silicic acid. sodium.

Generally made of quartz sand and sodium carbonate melted at high temperature and cooked from water. Or by concentrated alkali solution and quartz sand under pressure conditions in a total heat obtained.

Its chemical composition is expressed as xNa2O.ySiO2.zH2O.

Industrial production of water glass is divided into four stages: 1 Melt: Na2CO3 and SiO2 (quartz sand) are mixed in a weight ratio of about 1:1.47, put into a high-temperature reverberatory furnace, and calcined at 1400°-1500°C for one hour to obtain melt. Sodium silicate: Na2CO3+SiO2=Na2O.SiO2+CO2. 2 water quench: molten sodium silicate flowed through cold water, broken into 1-5mm size particles. 3 Soaking: Add sodium silicate crumbs and water to the steam spherules and heat the water vapor above 120°C for about 4 to 5/h. Let it stand and remove impurities. 4 Concentrate: Evaporate the concentrated solution to obtain the finished product.