Water glass, also known as soluble glass, is a jellylike compound of sodium, silicon, and oxygen. Its chemical name is sodium silicate. Pure water glass is colorless, and it readily dissolves in water. It is insoluble in alcohol and acids.
Water glass is used in industrial adhesives, bricks, concrete sealers, detergents and soaps, dynamite, and wood preservatives. It is used in the purification of fats and oils, in refining petroleum, in water treatment, and in the manufacture of silica gel and catalysts (substances that speed up chemical reactions). Water glass solutions are also used in fireproofing wood, cloth, and paper.
See also Silica gel .
