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Crystalline silica is an occupational hazard for those working with stone countertops because the process of cutting and installing the countertops creates large amounts of airborne silica. [75] Crystalline silica used in hydraulic fracturing presents a health hazard to workers. [34]
A silicate mineral is generally an inorganic compound consisting of subunits with the formula [SiO 2+n] 2n−. Although depicted as such, the description of silicates as anions is a simplification. Balancing the charges of the silicate anions are metal cations, M x+. Typical cations are Mg 2+, Fe 2+, and Na +.
Hydrated silica is a form of silicon dioxide, which has a variable amount of water in the formula. When dissolved in water, it is usually known as silicic acid. It is found in nature as opal [2] (which has been mined as a gemstone for centuries), and in the cell walls of diatoms. It is also synthetically manufactured for use in toothpaste as an ...
Silica gel is an amorphous and porous form of silicon dioxide (silica), consisting of an irregular tridimensional framework of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms with nanometer -scale voids and pores. The voids may contain water or some other liquids, or may be filled by gas or vacuum. In the last case, the material is properly called silica ...
ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images. A Chicago countertop manufacturer failed to protect its workers from silica exposure, leaving a father and son in need of lung transplants, federal labor ...
Sodium silicate is used as an alum coagulant and an iron flocculant in wastewater treatment plants. Sodium silicate binds to colloidal molecules, creating larger aggregates that sink to the bottom of the water column. The microscopic negatively charged particles suspended in water interact with sodium silicate.
In horticulture, potassium silicate is used as a soluble source of potassium and silica. It makes the growing medium more alkaline. It is also used as a supplement (in conjunction with normal fertilizer) for the numerous benefits that increasing the availability of silicon compounds has. Silicon-containing compounds are valuable to a plant, and ...
Precipitated silica. Precipitated silica is an amorphous form of silica (silicon dioxide, SiO 2); it is a white, powdery material. Precipitated silica is produced by precipitation from a solution containing silicate salts. The three main classes of amorphous silica are pyrogenic silica, precipitated silica and silica gel.