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This section provides an overview for sodium silicate as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 8 sodium silicate manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked sodium silicate companies as of December, 2024: 1.Merck, 2.NIPPON CHEMICAL INDUSTRIAL CO.,LTD., 3.Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology Co., Ltd..
Table of Contents
Sodium Silicate is the generic name for the sodium salts of silicic acid. There are various compositions such as Na4SiO4, Na2Si2O5, and Na2Si4O9, but in general, sodium silicate is often referred to as sodium metasilicate, which is Na2SiO3.
Sodium Silicate is a colorless crystalline solid at room temperature and soluble in water. Its concentrated aqueous solution is irritating and is called aqueous glass. When hydrochloric acid is added to aqueous glass, silicic acid is obtained.
Sodium Silicate is used in a variety of applications, including adhesives and ceramics. It is used as an adhesive in the manufacturing process of various paper products, such as toilet paper cores and cardboard, because of its high safety and low environmental impact.
In ceramics, coating cup handles and other parts with sodium silicate before attaching them to cups can prevent damage due to foaming.
Sodium Silicate is also used as a rust inhibitor for metals. It reacts with metal to produce a layer of silicic acid and metal oxides on the surface of the metal, preventing further erosion.
Other uses include additives in soaps and detergents, building materials, and foundries.
Derivatives of sodium silicate include silica gel, zeolite, and silicic anhydride.
Aqueous solutions of sodium silicate are weakly alkaline, and are stable at pH 10.2 or higher. Adding acid lowers the pH and increases the viscosity due to siloxane bond formation.
Aqueous solutions of sodium silicate react with heavy metals and other substances to form precipitates. This property is widely used in sewage treatment and water treatment.
When alcohol, phenol, or aldehyde is added to sodium silicate, it dehydrates and releases silica gel.
Sodium Silicate is a silicate of sodium, generally expressed as Na2O, nSiO2, and mH2O. Depending on the ratio of the three components, there are various types of sodium silicate with different physical and chemical properties in glassy, crystalline, and aqueous solution forms. Industrially, it is manufactured with SiO2/Na2O ranging from 0.5 to 4.
Crystalline sodium silicates include sodium orthosilicate (2Na2O-SiO2.xH2O), sodium sesquisilicate (3Na2O-2SiO2.xH2O), and sodium metasilicate (Na2O-SiO2.xH2O).
Aqueous solutions are also available with different ratios of Na2O and SiO2, such as No. 1 and No. 2.
The structure of sodium silicate varies depending on its type, but in general, it consists of silicate tetrahedra bonded via covalent oxygen atoms to form a three-dimensional network of silicon and oxygen atoms. Sodium cations are incorporated into the network, filling the spaces between the sodium silicate tetrahedra and balancing the negative charge of the oxygen atoms.
In aqueous solution, they exist as chained metasilicate ions rather than orthosilicate ions. As the concentration of sodium ions decreases, branching and cross-linking of the silicate ions occurs, giving rise to a network structure.
Sodium Silicate can be produced by either the dry process or the wet process.
In the dry process, silica sand is mixed with sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate and melted. The resulting cullet and water are dissolved in an autoclave, filtered through a filter press, and the molar ratio is adjusted to obtain sodium silicate.
In the wet process, sodium hydroxide and silica sand are reacted in an autoclave with pressurized steam. Sodium silicate is then filtered and concentrated.
Sodium Silicate was first scientifically recognized and studied in earnest around the 1820s. After 1920, industrial production began in the U.S. and Europe, and the use of sodium silicate began to expand.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Univar Solutions is a distributor and supplier of chemicals and ingredients since 1924 and are headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois. The company provides a wide range of chemicals to customers and extends its value-added services to suppliers. The services include data sharing, digital marketing, lab and formulation capabilities, and more. As providers of chemicals their inventory is limitless with stocks of acids, enzymes, oxides, silicates, additives, and other ingredients and they offer packaging, product development, and custom blending besides the supplies. Overall industries like Food, Agriculture, Mining, Home and Industrial Cleaning, Pharmaceuticals, and lots more benefit from Univar Solutions.
Nippon Chemical Industrial Co. Ltd., started in 1893 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a manufacturer of inorganic and specialty chemicals. In 1950, the company started the production of phosphate fertilizer at the Koriyama factory and the production of insecticides at the Miharu factory. In 1970, it began producing phosphoric acid, and in 1971, it started making chromium compounds. Its portfolio includes chromium compounds, inorganic phosphorus compounds, electronic ceramic materials, pharmaceutical intermediates, and agrochemicals. It also offers custom manufacturing for various industries, including agricultural chemicals, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals.
Kanto Chemical Co. Inc., founded in 1944 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a reagent manufacturer with overseas affiliates in other countries, including China, France, USA, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Its product portfolio includes analytical reagents, ionic liquids, Iodine compounds, ultra-pure chemicals, and water analysis kits. The company is also developing regenerative medicine and genetics reagents and has over 50,000 products. It has several certifications, including ISO 9001, acquired in 1994, making it the first Japanese company in the reagent industry. Other certifications are ISO 14001, ISO 13485, and ISO/IEC 17025.
Tokuyama Corporation, headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, and founded in 1918 is a manufacturer of Soda ash and methylene chloride. Soda ash is a fundamental raw material, with applications spanning the glass and detergent industries. Beyond this, it produces quality baking soda for food additives and calcium chloride. The diverse product portfolio includes multiple sections including chemicals, cement, electronic materials, environmental business, and life science. The products catalog includes silicon, microporous films, ion exchange membranes, Chlor, and alkali among others.
TRUNNANO (aka. Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology Co. Ltd.), based in China, is a global chemical material supplier and manufacturer. The company specializes in nanomaterials research and production catering to multiple industries such as electronics, energy, and healthcare across the world. Their extensive product portfolio includes nanoparticles, nanowires, and nanopowders, among others, meeting extensive application needs in different sectors. They provide chemicals such as boron powder, zinc sulfide, nitride powder, 3D printing powder, and more.
Millipore Sigma, formerly known as Sigma-Aldrich, was created in 175 through the merger of Sigma Chemical Company and Aldrich Chemical company and today is a subsidiary of Merck. Millipore Sigma is a life science and biotechnology company serving the industry with several products and services. Some of their product categories include peptide synthesis materials, biochemicals, building blocks, catalysts, chemical biology, chemical synthesis, flavors & fragrances, formulation, lab chemicals, lab safety, APIs, and stable isotopes. Services include characterization, contract manufacturing, custom products, software, support, testing, and mRNA development & manufacturing.
Merck, started in 1668 and based in Darmstadt, Germany, is a supplier of solutions and services for research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical and biotechnological drug therapies. The company serves the life science industry and has a broad portfolio of 300,000 products, including biopharmaceutical manufacturing, industrial microbiology, reagent, life science research, and water purification products. It is available in 66 countries, brings together six brands, and has several ISO certifications, including ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, and ISO 50001.
Nacalai Tesque Inc., founded in 1846 and headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, is a manufacturer of research chemicals, fine chemicals, diagnostics, and the related instruments. Some of its products include cytokines, nucleic acid electrophoresis, cell dissociation reagents, and sialic acid-related products, and it also offers custom and bulk service for bulk reagents and cell culture media. The company has more than 50 domestic distributors and several worldwide, including Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, Europe, and Africa. It is ISO 9001 and ISO 9002 certified, while the Kyoto South brand and Tesque factory are ISO 14001 certified.
Ranking as of December 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merck |
25.9%
|
| 2 | NIPPON CHEMICAL INDUSTRIAL CO.,LTD. |
16.6%
|
| 3 | Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology Co., Ltd. |
14.1%
|
| 4 | Univar Solutions Inc. |
10.2%
|
| 5 | KANTO CHEMICAL CO.,INC. |
9.8%
|
| 6 | MilliporeSigma |
8.8%
|
| 7 | nacalai |
8.8%
|
| 8 | Tokuyama Corporation |
5.9%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the sodium silicate page as of December 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
Japan
|
4 | 66.7% |
|
United States of America
|
1 | 16.7% |
|
China
|
1 | 16.7% |
