Colloidal Silica vs. Fumed Silica
Colloidal Silica vs. Fumed Silica
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Applied Material Solutions offers a variety of industrial chemical products. In addition to colloidal silica, we provide a selection of antifoams and defoamers, hydrophobic treated silica, and toll manufacturing services. You’ll find our headquarters in Elkhorn, WI, while Burlington, WI, and Rockton, IL, are home to our manufacturing plants.
Here you’ll learn the differences between fumed silica and colloidal silica, which are otherwise identical at the molecular level. While AMS is a manufacturer of colloidal silica, we are not outright a manufacturer of fumed silica. Instead, we take fumed silica and surface-treat it with silicone polymers to make it hydrophobic.
What Is Colloidal Silica?
Colloidal silica is a water-based, stabilized dispersion of amorphous silicon dioxide (aka silica) nanoparticles. Manufacturers produce colloidal silicathrough the polymerization of silica nuclei derived from silicate solutions. Polymerized under alkaline conditions, the silica nuclei convert into silica sols (solid particles) at the nano-scale and with a high surface area. The process then applies a charge to these silica sols, causing electrostatic resistance between each particle and creating a colloid—a type of stable dispersion.
These microscopic colloids remain suspended in a dispersion medium, typically water. What makes colloids different from other suspensions is their even distribution, without settling or separating. Colloids can be comprised of many types of solid, gaseous, and liquid substances within a dispersion media. In the case of colloidal silica, the colloid is a microscopic solid dispersed in water.
Grace - LUDOX® - Domestic Colloidal Silica, Product Article
About LUDOX® Colloidal Silica
LUDOX® products are discrete, amorphous, spherical silica particles dispersed in water that do not exhibit crystallinity or porosity. These colloidal silica products offer high reactivity with organic and inorganic materials, substrates, and polymers to provide binding and surface-modifying properties which improve chemical formulations in the coating, paint, refractory, concrete, and catalyst industries. Since colloidal silica consists of electrostatically stabilized silica in water, the cumulative water weight in these products incurs relatively higher shipping costs per weight of solids. Thus, US buyers can save more by purchasing LUDOX® colloidal silica that is both manufactured and stocked in the USA.
Find a Colloidal Silica Grade that Meets Your Specifications
LUDOX® is available in many grades ranging in particle size, surface charge, counter ion, pH, and silica content. Typically, colloidal silica with smaller particle sizes function better as binders to increase strength and durability in latex paint films, thermal ceramic refractories, and synthetic catalysts. This is due to the higher surface area than colloidal silica with larger particle sizes. Colloidal silica with larger particle sizes are excellent surface modifiers to provide higher friction and antiblocking properties. Some applications may require a colloidal silica grade with a specific surface charge, pH stability range, or counterion to provide adequate stability.
With several options available, a few grades may match your application’s specifications and requirements. Review the descriptions of the LUDOX® grades below to find one that meets your current needs.
LUDOX® is available in many grades ranging in particle size, surface charge, counter ion, pH, and silica content. Typically, colloidal silica with smaller particle sizes function better as binders to increase strength and durability in latex paint films, thermal ceramic refractories, and synthetic catalysts. This is due to the higher surface area than colloidal silica with larger particle sizes. Colloidal silica with larger particle sizes are excellent surface modifiers to provide higher friction and antiblocking properties. Some applications may require a colloidal silica grade with a specific surface charge, pH stability range, or counterion to provide adequate stability.With several options available, a few grades may match your application’s specifications and requirements. Review the descriptions of the LUDOX® grades below to find one that meets your current needs.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of colloidal silica supplier. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.