Sodium Silicates as Concrete Sealers: Interesting Facts to Know About

Sodium silicate sealers are extremely popular for use on both the interior and exterior concrete portions. Over the past years, there has been a sudden surge in demand for silicates as they act as concrete sealers.

Therefore, if you are involved with sodium silicate production, find a reliable seller to get the finest machinery. Also, knowing a little more about silicate sealer and its functions can help you make a better purchasing decision.

Generally, sodium silicate sealers penetrate the concrete’s surface, chemically reacting to form a calcium silicate hydrate structure. The end product is visible within the pores that bind the concrete firmly.

The sealers can spark another chemical reaction within the concrete that conceals all the pores within it. So, after all this, only the calcium silicate hydrate structure remains, which hardens over time. Such chemical reactions are responsible for the hardening of concrete. So, let’s take a little close look at some other facts about these sodium silicate sealers:

No Control Over CSH Structure Formation

An interesting fact about CSH structure formation is that you can never predict or control its size. Therefore, you need to put multiple coats as the size can depend on the amount of calcium and free lime present within the concrete during application. The size of these structures also depends on the particular method of application, density, the porosity of the concrete surfaces along pH, moisture, etc.

CSH Structure Remains Identical

The CSH structure is always identical, no matter which brand you decide to use for the application. Remember that a silicate will always be a silicate. So, no matter what brand you utilise, it is about the percentage of sodium silicate that determines the chemical reaction’s fate.

Never fall for the false warranties or any claims that many brands might make for selling their product. Only its amount and quality will be responsible for delivering the results. If you want to get such premium quality sodium silicates, ensure investing in finding the best sodium silicate machinery exporters in the market.

Densifiers Cannot Repair Cracks

A densifier can strengthen the interiors of a spider crack. But it is unable to stop water from leaking through the cracks. Therefore, it isn’t a good choice for bonding the concrete together for repairing the cracks. In case of such cracks, you need silicone or epoxy-based product.

Densifiers can effectively reduce water movement and moisture through densification. But you do not get to control or even predict the activity. Instead, investing in sodium silicates can be a good option as it determines how much water or moisture is reduced with its application. Also, you can use proper testing methods to determine the elimination of moisture or water flowing through the cracks.

Final Thoughts

So, these are a few details that you might want to know about sodium silicates that you want to produce in your industries. However, though this compound is popular as concrete sealers, it is ineffective as a waterproofing agent. That is because sodium silicate comes with a limited depth of penetration that cannot reduce the hydrostatic pressure. In such cases, opt for other waterproofing techniques.