Abstract
Abstract Formation of noncrystalline silica flakes (1, 2) and fibers (3) by freezing silicic acid sols and gels (0.1-1 M Si02) has been studied. This phenomenon is interesting from both the inorganic and geochemical viewpoints although the data on the products formed by freezing dilute silicic acid solutions are not available in the literature. We froze and thawed monomeric silicic acid solutions (0.05-2 mM) and observed the formation of polygonal, circular, elliptical, and annular silica microplates with diameters of 0.5 to 20 ,μm. The circular, elliptical, and annular microplates were similar to laminar opaline silica (LOS) in soils (4-7), suggesting that soil LOS can be formed when the soil solution containing silicic acid is frozen.
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