Silicic acid is a silicon, hydrogen, and oxygen compound. It is the parent component from which the silicates, a large family of minerals, esters, and salts, are derived. One of the most fundamental silicon compounds is orthosilicic acid. It is the smallest component of silica and silicates, which are the most abundant natural substances in the earth’s crust. Though its average concentration is low, orthosilicic acid is abundant in seas and rivers and plays an important role in the continental cycle of silicon through biotic and abiotic processes. Orthosilicic acid is also important for gramineous plant development and cellular metabolism, as well as the development of bone, connective tissue, skin, hair, and nails in humans and other animals.
Silicic Acid Formula
H4SiO4 is the chemical formula for silicic acid. Monosilicic acid formula or orthosilicic acid formula are other names for it. Silicic acid can be made by dissolving it in water in an unstable solution. Silicic acid exists in both crystalline and amorphous forms.
Structure of Silicic Acid
Physical properties of Silicic Acid
| Molecular Weight – 96.113 g/mol | Covalent Bond – Single | Conjugate Base – Orthosilicate |
- There are two types of acid: crystalline and amorphous. A precipitation interaction produces crystalline, and amorphous is regarded as a rock gem.
- The corrosive acid is white in color and has an undefined structure (SiO3).
- It’s also water-insoluble and flavorless due to its amorphous structure.
- The component does not break up by oxyacids in its translucent state.
- When an acid or its solution is added to a silicate solution, the hydrate forms a thick structure, which is then dried and cooled to form an insoluble substance.
Chemical properties of Silicic Acid
- When moving towards pH 10, silicic acid is very weak and may lose its first proton. Only three acid reactions that occur in typical physiological states of life are known.
- When the solvency is exceeded, the reaction with itself frames shapeless silica hydrate.
- Aluminum silicate hydroxide is formed when it reacts with aluminum hydroxide.
- An overabundance of reaction Silicomolybdate is a heteropolyacid formed by molybdate.
Uses of Silicic Acid
- Toothpaste: It is the grinding gel used in the toothpaste, or free piece of the streaked toothpaste, in light of the fact that a blend in with calcium carbonate serves to kill the plaque with brushing safely. It is selected as a safeguarded compound by the United States Food and Drug Administration and has no known hurtfulness or disease-causing nature.
- Desiccant: Right when dried in an oven, it loses water and transforms into a desiccant (a substance that pulls in water from the air). Little heaps of silica gel valuable stones thusly can be found in compartments whose substance may be hurt by clamminess, for instance, supplement containers, devices, shoes, or cowhide things.
- Wellbeing Advantages of Orthosilicic Acid (OSA): Orthosilicic destructive is the best bioavailable method of silicon for individuals. This can be used to deal with various infirmities like Alzheimer’s sickness, Arthritis, atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary disease, osteoporosis, stroke, and hair.
- Bone Health: In an examination of 136 women with osteopenia in 2008, orthosilicic destructive was given close by calcium and supplement D Or phony treatment reliably for a year. After the year, individuals who got destructive showed worked on the bone turn of events. Scientists say this is a result of the limit of orthosilicic destructive to empower the making of Collagen (A protein found in connective tissue) and in propelling the progression of bone-outlining cells.
- Wellbeing in the Hair: A little report circulated in 2007 suggests that this destructive can assist with further developing hair quality and prosperity. In the assessment, 48 women with “fine hair” were separated into two social affairs and given a phony treatment or an orthosilicic supplement for quite a while. Researchers found that orthosilicic corrosive appeared to develop hair fortitude and thickness. In general, the idea of hair has also been improved with the supplementation of orthosilicic corrosive.
Sample Questions
Question 1: Is silicic acid water-soluble?
Answer:
At room temperature, orthosilicic acid is stable in water as long as its concentration does not exceed the amorphous phase’s solubility limit (typically around 100 ppm, ca. 1 mM).
Question 2: For what reason is sodium silicate utilized in cleansers?
Answer:
Detergents are used to clean surfaces in the home, as well as dishes and laundry. Many commercial detergents contain sodium silicate as a building material. By removing water hardness, sodium silicate helps to prevent mineral deposits on surfaces after washing.
Question 3: What are the advantages of taking silica supplements?
Answer:
Silica is a substance made up of silicon and oxygen (SiO 2). Quartz, tridymite, and cristobalite are the three basic crystalline varieties. The following are the advantages of silica as an anti-inflammatory compound:
- It helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- It boosts metabolism and reduces the appearance of wrinkles.
- Chelation of heavy metals
- It helps to keep the bowels in check.
- It helps to prevent kidney stones by improving hair, skin, nail, and joint health.
Question 4: Mention a few condensation products of Orthosilicic acid?
Answer:
The small condensation compounds formed are disilicic acid, linear and cyclic trimers (trisiloxanes), and tetramers (tetrasiloxanes). These are important intermediates in the synthesis of advanced silicon oxide-based materials like mesoporous silica, zeolites, and silicones.
Question 5: What happens when silicic acid is heated?
Answer:
Some silicate salts, such as sodium silicate, can be acidified in an aqueous solution to produce silicic acids. They lose water and form silica gel when heated.
Question 6: Is silicic acid the same as silica gel?
Answer:
Supports and Adsorbents Silica gel, a partially hydrated silicon dioxide, is the most common adsorbent used in TLC, but other adsorbents such as cellulose, aluminum oxide, celite (kieselguhr), magnesium oxide, and zeolites are also available.