Studies in colloidal silicates

Abstract

The electrical conductance of the mixture obtained by the progressive addition of a sodium silicate to a ferric chloride solution first decreases then increases and finally there is again a drop till the soda content of the silicate equals the chloride content of the ferric chloride solutions. This shows that the free hydrochloric acid already present in the ferric chloride from its hydrolysis is first used up in the reaction and it is followed by formation of a mixture of hydrous oxide and silicate of iron and silica. Subsequently a double silicate of iron and sodium comes out as a precipitate. Formation of ferric hydroxide and silica is favoured in dilute solutions, pH curves show an inflection beyond the equivalent value of sodium silicate which indicates the generation of silica in the system.