Water Glass: An Introduction to the Famous Desiccant

Water glass, a common name that rightly describes the dominant compound sodium silicate in the market. Why is it a dominating compound? Well, this is the compound that seems to be quite prevalent in manufacturing units worldwide. It is a glassy solid that consists of sodium oxide and silica. It offers you the advantage of being soluble in water.

Water glass is widely available in both powders, syrupy liquids as well as solid lumps. Depending on its applications, the manufacturers invest in sodium silicate plant machinery for large-scale productions. From detergents to the pulp industry, you can find this water glass in almost every manufacturing sector.

About Sodium Silicate: Chemical Composition & Production

The chemical formula of water glass is (Na2O)x·(SiO2)y. It is typically made from roasting different quantities of soda ash and silica sand in the furnace at approximately 1,000 and 1,400 °C approximately. The roasting results in the formation of cullet.

Different techniques cool down the cullet and finally sell the compound either in powders or liquid form. The resulting lump or the groundwater glass goes through tremendous pressures and reactors to dissolve in hot water.

Depending on the ratio of the components, the solution exhibits different properties. For example, many manufacturers use spray-drying methods for highly viscous solutions. In addition, it helps in the production of glass-like hydrated sodium silicate beads. Finally, the beads are available for commercial purposes as they dissolve faster than the anhydrous water glass.

Physical Properties

How can you identify water glass? Knowing the physical properties of the compound can help you to identify it successfully. It is colourless or white glassy or crystalline solids. The sodium silicates are highly soluble in water, except silicon-rich ones that can produce alkaline solutions. But the compound is highly stable both in neutral and alkaline forms.

The silicate ions react with the hydrogen ones in acidic solutions to form silicic acids. It then decomposes into hydrated silicon dioxide gel. Therefore, you can find it available in the market as a desiccant as it can force off the water. Moreover, it is capable of withstanding high temperatures till 1100 degrees Fahrenheit.