Uploaded December 2018 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
It is fairly easy to make sodium silicate and I use it for refractory purposes. It is expensive locally so I began to make my own. In this video I use silica gel cat litter and liquid lye sold locally as BBQ cleaner. You can use lye crystals (sodium hydroxide) and silica gel from the dry packets that come with electronics. The usual mix is 200 gm lye and 300 gm silica gel with maybe 100 ml water. Note that mixing lye crystals into water liberates great heat. Add lye slowly with stirring when making a lye solution. Use gloves, eye protection, and good ventilation.
It is fairly easy to make sodium silicate and I use it for refractory purposes. It is expensive locally so I began to make my own. In this video I use silica gel cat litter and liquid lye sold locally as BBQ cleaner. You can use lye crystals (sodium hydroxide) and silica gel from the dry packets that come with electronics. The usual mix is 200 gm lye and 300 gm silica gel with maybe 100 ml water. Note that mixing lye crystals into water liberates great heat. Add lye slowly with stirring when making a lye solution. Use gloves, eye protection, and good ventilation.
