Making Sodium Silicate at Home
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:15 pm
I had watched the Nurdrage video on making Sodium Silicate. Nurdrage has a lot of good videos. In this one he makes a small amount of SS I just ramped it up to a useable amount for making cores.
See safety pointers At the end of the post!!
Instead of desiccant beads I used the new silica crystal cat litter. Along with the Sodium Hydroxide / Red Devil Lye.
I have found Lye a few places, but it is a little harder to get than it used to be. Of course you used to be able to buy Water Glass at the local pharmacy.
I found some at a Hardware store and a place that sells to the Amish. I've had the bottle for a couple years. I want some more to make some sodium metal.
This is the Lye and the finished Sodium Silicate.
I ground up the crystals in the little ball mill at work. I think you could use a blender or a hammer.
I followed Nurdrage's directions with 40g Lye in 100ml water, warmed it up a little. It gets pretty hot from the lye reacting with the water.
Then I added the silica powder a little at a time and allowed it to dissolve. I added a little more water at the end to get the last of the silica to dissolve.
I ended up with 200ml of solution.
Then I used 500g of sand with about 30g of SS, 6%. Mixed in a plastic bag like Myfordboy did and pressed it in a PVC pipe that I cut down both sides. I didn't cut all the way through with the saw. I cut it most of the way and the slit it with a razor knife, to keep the round shape.
I blew CO2 in the ends with a little air duster that takes the CO2 cartridges. I'm going to find a paintball cylinder. I filled the bag and blew some on what was left. It got real hard right away.
Left over mix.
I waited a while on the tube and then opened it. It worked, yea!!
1 1/2" core for a cannon. I wonder how many make the core first before they even know what pattern they're going to make.
Oh well, it worked. How hard should the cores be? these seem pretty hard, maybe I should use a little less SS. I've pounded the ball hard and it hasn't broken, next is hammertime.
Thanks to Nurdrage, Rocco and Myfordboy.
Oh, I was making a video but the camera quit after about a minute.
That's OK, I sound like a dufuss. I'll stop talking like Myfordboy and rocco does.
Total cost: Lye was around $5 and the cat litter was $9. 1 pound of Lye is 454g and 8# of cat litter is 3630g. That would make 2.2 liters and you would still be able to fill the catbox. 1 pound of lye makes 11 batches and 8# of catlitter makes 60 batches.
2.2 liters $14...1# lye and 8# catlitter...$6.36/liter
11 liters $34...5# lye and 8# catlitter...$3.09/liter
"Amazing Cat" was about $3 less than the name brands and some are not 100% Silica.
Ok, we should put in some safety points.
Lye / NaOH is very caustic and will burn you and can generate Hydrogen when it comes in contact with metals.
MSDS
Silica powder will cause breathing problems if you inhale it. Problems if you get it in your eyes, wear dust mask, goggles, and gloves. Don't rub your eyes. Silica MSDS
Sodium Silicate is not too bad. MSDS
See safety pointers At the end of the post!!
Instead of desiccant beads I used the new silica crystal cat litter. Along with the Sodium Hydroxide / Red Devil Lye.
I have found Lye a few places, but it is a little harder to get than it used to be. Of course you used to be able to buy Water Glass at the local pharmacy.
I found some at a Hardware store and a place that sells to the Amish. I've had the bottle for a couple years. I want some more to make some sodium metal.
This is the Lye and the finished Sodium Silicate.
I ground up the crystals in the little ball mill at work. I think you could use a blender or a hammer.
I followed Nurdrage's directions with 40g Lye in 100ml water, warmed it up a little. It gets pretty hot from the lye reacting with the water.
Then I added the silica powder a little at a time and allowed it to dissolve. I added a little more water at the end to get the last of the silica to dissolve.
I ended up with 200ml of solution.
Then I used 500g of sand with about 30g of SS, 6%. Mixed in a plastic bag like Myfordboy did and pressed it in a PVC pipe that I cut down both sides. I didn't cut all the way through with the saw. I cut it most of the way and the slit it with a razor knife, to keep the round shape.
I blew CO2 in the ends with a little air duster that takes the CO2 cartridges. I'm going to find a paintball cylinder. I filled the bag and blew some on what was left. It got real hard right away.
Left over mix.
I waited a while on the tube and then opened it. It worked, yea!!
1 1/2" core for a cannon. I wonder how many make the core first before they even know what pattern they're going to make.
Oh well, it worked. How hard should the cores be? these seem pretty hard, maybe I should use a little less SS. I've pounded the ball hard and it hasn't broken, next is hammertime.
Thanks to Nurdrage, Rocco and Myfordboy.
Oh, I was making a video but the camera quit after about a minute.
That's OK, I sound like a dufuss. I'll stop talking like Myfordboy and rocco does.
Total cost: Lye was around $5 and the cat litter was $9. 1 pound of Lye is 454g and 8# of cat litter is 3630g. That would make 2.2 liters and you would still be able to fill the catbox. 1 pound of lye makes 11 batches and 8# of catlitter makes 60 batches.
2.2 liters $14...1# lye and 8# catlitter...$6.36/liter
11 liters $34...5# lye and 8# catlitter...$3.09/liter
"Amazing Cat" was about $3 less than the name brands and some are not 100% Silica.
Ok, we should put in some safety points.
Lye / NaOH is very caustic and will burn you and can generate Hydrogen when it comes in contact with metals.
MSDS
Silica powder will cause breathing problems if you inhale it. Problems if you get it in your eyes, wear dust mask, goggles, and gloves. Don't rub your eyes. Silica MSDS
Sodium Silicate is not too bad. MSDS