Sidmadra
Hazard to Others
Posts: 129
Registered: 17-2-2017
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Any place to get granular purified silicone dioxide for chemistry applications?
This may seem like a silly question, since store sand can be purified with acid/base washed, and optionally aqua regia, but if purified sand could be
purchased, this could save valuable reagents.
Is there any place I can buy purified silicon dioxide like this. I see Sigma sells it, however I can't purchase from them right now, and that is a
very expensive source anyhow. Is there perhaps granular glass-blowing substrate, or something along those lines? I've googled but am having little
luck.
|
|
Deathunter88
National Hazard
Posts: 522
Registered: 20-2-2015
Location: Beijing, China
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Silica gel desiccant?
|
|
Sidmadra
Hazard to Others
Posts: 129
Registered: 17-2-2017
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Isn't Silca Gel typically made from alkyl silyl chlorides, and not as inert as straight Silicone Dioxide? In any case, Silca Gel would be undesirable
in a filter due to its ability to adsorb organic compounds.
|
|
MrHomeScientist
International Hazard
Posts: 1806
Registered: 24-10-2010
Location: Flerovium
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
What's the application? Glass bead abrasive might be an option.
Assay silica, used in precious metal smelting, is another one - this one claims 99.4% purity. I imagine it would have to be pretty pure to not contaminate valuable metals.
Or you can make your own pure silica by reacting water glass and an acid, then dehydrating the resulting orthosilicic acid gel. There's quite a few
videos on it; here's mine from seven(!) years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6sxdejGOqw
|
|
elementcollector1
International Hazard
Posts: 2684
Registered: 28-12-2011
Location: The Known Universe
Member Is Offline
Mood: Molten
|
|
'Florida white sand' is the stuff I plan to use. Color is generally good enough indicator of purity when it comes to silica and quartz - unless you
need semiconductor-grade, it will be good enough.
Elements Collected:52/87
Latest Acquired: Cl
Next in Line: Nd
|
|
andy1988
Hazard to Others
Posts: 135
Registered: 11-2-2018
Location: NW Americus ([i]in re[/i] Amerigo Vespucci)
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Fumed silica?
EDIT: Also 'silicone' refers to the polymer.
[Edited on 27-8-2018 by andy1988]
|
|
Sidmadra
Hazard to Others
Posts: 129
Registered: 17-2-2017
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I'm mainly wanting it for filtration, but also need it pure enough in the cases where I can't adequately separate it from my filtered compound and
need to have it inside the reaction. While the trace minerals in natural sand might not pose any threat, I suppose there is no telling what sort of
catalytic decomposition could happen as a result of some of those trace minerals. It's probably a pointless worry but, if avoidable, then that is
most.
I've thought about getting glass and just crushing it, but I don't think that would be granular enough, as it might become too powdery (or too sharp
if I don't crush it enough).
|
|
elementcollector1
International Hazard
Posts: 2684
Registered: 28-12-2011
Location: The Known Universe
Member Is Offline
Mood: Molten
|
|
If you were feeling particularly adventurous, you could always 'polish' the glass bits in the equivalent of a rock tumbler to smooth them out a bit.
Ironically, ordinary sand would probably be a pretty good polishing medium in that case. All you'd have to do is use a lower particle size for the
polishing medium, and strain out the polished glass granules after a while.
[Edited on 8/28/2018 by elementcollector1]
Elements Collected:52/87
Latest Acquired: Cl
Next in Line: Nd
|
|
Dr.Bob
International Hazard
Posts: 2751
Registered: 26-1-2011
Location: USA - NC
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
You can get cleaned sand, which is what many labs use for filtrations. Celite also works fine as well for filtering things, and can be bought as
diatomaceous earth on the web, without issues. Various grades of and or silica are not too hard to find, the silica gel used for chromatography
would not work well for filtrations unless pressurized. You can buy various grades of sand at many hardware stores for sand blasting or masonry.
|
|
Magpie
lab constructor
Posts: 5939
Registered: 1-11-2003
Location: USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Chemistry: the subtle science.
|
|
I have use fine sand used for lizard/snakes at a pet store.
The single most important condition for a successful synthesis is good mixing - Nicodem
|
|
JScott
Hazard to Self
Posts: 51
Registered: 23-8-2018
Member Is Offline
|
|
Maybe this will help
Just purchased from them.
|
|
RogueRose
International Hazard
Posts: 1596
Registered: 16-6-2014
Member Is Offline
|
|
Look at pottery stores for flints - there is a brand called SILCOSIL and it is available in 50, 200 and 325 mesh. Prices are good at about $1/lb or
about $20-25/50lbs. From the site it says "99.5% Si02."
https://www.sheffield-pottery.com/FLINT-325M-SIL-CO-SIL-52-3...
https://coatings.specialchem.com/product/a-u-s-silica-sil-co...
https://digitalfire.com/4sight/material/sil-co-sil_1247.html
it says .022% Fe2O3, so a light wash of HCl would clean it up possibly if it hasn't already been washed which I kind of doubt it has been.
You can also look for domestic (not salt water) diatomaceous earth, which is the whitest and purest form of DE. I'd wash it with HCl and you can
seperate the sizes by shaking in a bottle of water and allowing to settle, the larger sizes obviously settle first.
You can get this clean DE at many pool stores to refill filters, they also have some really pure sand there as well.
[Edited on 8-30-2018 by RogueRose]
[Edited on 8-30-2018 by RogueRose]
[Edited on 8-30-2018 by RogueRose]
|
|
Fluorite
Hazard to Others
Posts: 139
Registered: 26-12-2018
Location: United Arab Emirates
Member Is Offline
|
|
If you bubble carbon dioxide through sodium silicate you'll get silicon dioxide
[Edited on 6-1-2021 by Fluorite]
|
|
Dr.Bob
International Hazard
Posts: 2751
Registered: 26-1-2011
Location: USA - NC
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I still have some flash chromatography grade silica gel (Merck type) which I have a few containers (~250 - 500 g each) of which I am happy to throw in
for free with any order (and postage) for the asking. This is quite fine, so may not be ideal for simple filtrations (celite is better for that),
but is great for running columns and as a solid support for some reagents. I also have a few prepacked plastic columns (mostly empty syringes) which
are filled with silica gel for mini columns, I throw in one or two as free samples with most orders (until I run out).
|
|
macckone
Dispenser of practical lab wisdom
Posts: 2168
Registered: 1-3-2013
Location: Over a mile high
Member Is Offline
Mood: Electrical
|
|
Diatomaceous earth washed with acid to remove any calcium carbonate is sold as a filter aid under the trade name celite.
Pool filter diatomaceous earth is similar and some brands are acid washed.
If you are looking for something coarser, check pottery supply places.
They often sell silica in various mesh sizes as well as 'sand' which comes in various grades.
You can also use glass beads for sand blasting. They also come in various sizes.
|
|
SWIM
National Hazard
Posts: 970
Registered: 3-9-2017
Member Is Offline
|
|
How fine do you want?
I believe I've got some for making ceramics with which is pretty pure.
If its what you want I could send you a pound or so.
Will check my stockpile in the morning.
|
|
SWIM
National Hazard
Posts: 970
Registered: 3-9-2017
Member Is Offline
|
|
What I've got is 5 micron silicon dioxide powder. 99.5%
There is a lot number listed on the container, but no other information about impurities.
It's Apha Aesar and I've got no use for it, so you can have it for the postage if its what you need.
|
|