Silicate

A silicate is a compound with an anion that bears a silicon molecule. Most of the silicates in existence are oxides, but hexafluorosilicate and other anions are also included. Silicates are a common—in fact, the major—component of the earth’s crust, as well as other planets with a terrestrial environment, asteroids, and rocky moons. Portland cement, sand, and thousands of other minerals can be called silicates. Silicate compounds (as well as silicate minerals) have silicate anions with charges balanced by a wide variety of cations. Myriad silicate anions can exist, with each having the ability to form compounds with a wide variety of different cations. This ability is the reason why the silicate class of compounds is relatively large compared to other compound classes. Natural and synthetic minerals can also fit in this class.

Silicate can also occur in solutions, even if they are well characterized as solids. The silicon-bearing anion is the essential conjugate base of silicic acid, and both are elusive, as are all the intermediate species. Solutions of silicates are typically observed as mixtures of condensed and partially protonated clusters of silicate. The properties of soluble silicates is very relevant to understanding the process of biomineralization and the synthesis of aluminosilicates, including catalysts called zeolites, which is important in various kinds of industries.

Sodium silicate is one of the known silicate compounds, which is also known as water glass or liquid glass. Sodium silicate can be found in aqueous solution and in solid form that is used in passive fire protection, refractories, the processing of textile and lumber, automobiles, and cements. Sodium silicate is also used in the process of chromatography.

This category contains scientific information on silicate, a compound with an anion that bears a silicon molecule that can be used for various applications, including chromatography.