The structure of hydrated sodium silicate (water glass) produced by various methods

An attempt was made to determine numerically some characteristic structural features of hydrated sodium silicate (water glass) which forms a very complex colloidal system. Two types of water glass samples of identical moduli M=1.95; 2.1 and 2.3 but produced by different methods were prepared for investigation. The first method consisted in preparation and solubilising of fused sodium silicate glaze of a given modulus, while the second one consisted in modifying with soda lye an aqueous solution of sodium silicate glaze of the modulus M=3.3 to the required modulus value. The fused glazes were next intensively cooled in air and after cooling disintegrated. [...]