EP #170: Concrete Silica vs. Silicates: Are You Getting What You Paid For?

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ON THIS EPISODE OF THE CONCRETE LOGIC PODCAST

What if the product you bought as colloidal silica is actually a cheap silicate?

Seth is joined by Dr. Jon Belkowitz of Intelligent Concrete to explain why these similarly named materials are not the same.

Jon argues that pH is one of the quickest ways to distinguish colloidal silica from a silicate, and that the difference can affect performance, handling, specifications, and cost.

The bigger concern is what happens when a product is sold as colloidal silica but is actually a much less expensive silicate. Jon says buyers should verify the chemistry instead of relying only on labels or sales claims.

The conversation also connects colloidal silica to current durability concerns in concrete and asks a practical question: Are you actually getting the material you think you are buying?

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• The basic difference between a silicate and colloidal silica

• Why Jon compares the difference between silicate and silica to the difference between cement and concrete

• How sodium, potassium, and lithium silicates differ

• Why pH can be an important first check when evaluating a product sold as colloidal silica