Uploaded August 2014 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
I had a bunch of silica gel, so I decided to try making up some sodium silicate. 55 grams of silica gel beads were placed in water in a beaker and 37 grams of sodium hydroxide was slowly mixed in. The beaker was then placed in my heating mantle and heated with a flask of cold water over it as a cover. The silica gel beads dissolved and a thick viscous sodium silicate water glass solution resulted. My product turned out a little yellow because some of my silica gel was a bit yellowed. I will do this again sometime with clean silica gel beads.
I had a bunch of silica gel, so I decided to try making up some sodium silicate. 55 grams of silica gel beads were placed in water in a beaker and 37 grams of sodium hydroxide was slowly mixed in. The beaker was then placed in my heating mantle and heated with a flask of cold water over it as a cover. The silica gel beads dissolved and a thick viscous sodium silicate water glass solution resulted. My product turned out a little yellow because some of my silica gel was a bit yellowed. I will do this again sometime with clean silica gel beads.
