Effects of Magnetic Treatment Water on Silica Gel Formation

Abstract

Using magnetic-field-affecting (MFA) water, viscosity of silicate solutions was increased by promotion of microgel formation, which may result in a new route for microgel formation. MFA water made oligomeric silicate species silanol-rich and stabilized the microgels through hydration. Also, the silica gels from silicate solutions prepared using MFA water had small domain size, which seemed to be consistent with the appearance of homogeneous mesopores. These results demonstrate that magnetic treatment of pure water makes MFA water, which affects polymerization and aggregation processes in aqueous silicate solutions.