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Silica |
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silica or silicon dioxide, chemical compound, SiO2. It is insoluble in water, slightly soluble in alkalies, and soluble in dilute hydrofluoric acid. Pure silica is colorless to white. It occurs in several forms and is widely and abundantly distributed throughout the earth, both in the pure state and in silicates silicate, chemical compound containing silicon, oxygen, and one or more metals, e.g., aluminum, barium, beryllium, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, or zirconium. Silicates may be considered chemically as salts of the various silicic acids.
..... Click the link for more information. , e.g., in quartz (agate, amethyst, chalcedony, flint, jasper, onyx, and rock crystal), opal, sand, sandstone, clay, granite, and many other rocks; in skeletal parts of various protists and animals, such as certain sarcodines (see Sarcodina Sarcodina, the largest phylum (11,500 living species and 33,000 fossil species) of protozoans). It comprises the amebas and related organisms; which are all solitary cells that move and capture food by means of pseudopods, flowing temporary extensions of the cell. ..... Click the link for more information. ), diatoms diatom , unicellular organism of the kingdom Protista, characterized by a silica shell of often intricate and beautiful sculpturing. Most diatoms exist singly, although some join to form colonies. ..... Click the link for more information. , and sponges sponge, common name for members of the aquatic animal phylum Porifera, and for the dried, processed skeletons of certain species used to hold water. Over 4,500 living species are known; they are found throughout the world, especially in shallow temperate waters. ..... Click the link for more information. , and in the stems and other tissue of higher plants. Silica has many important uses. It is used as a filler for paint and rubber; in making ordinary glass glass, hard substance, usually brittle and transparent, composed chiefly of silicates and an alkali fused at high temperature. Composition and Properties of Glass ..... Click the link for more information. ; in ceramics; in construction; and in the preparation of other substances, e.g., silicon carbide silicon carbide, chemical compound, SiC, that forms extremely hard, dark, iridescent crystals that are insoluble in water and other common solvents. Widely used as an abrasive, it is marketed under such familiar trade names as Carborundum and Crystolon. ..... Click the link for more information. . Fused quartz is pure amorphous silica; it is used in special chemical and optical apparatus. Because it has a low thermal coefficient of expansion, it withstands sudden changes in temperature and can be used in parts that are subjected to wide ranges of heat and cold. Unlike ordinary glass, it does not absorb infrared and ultraviolet light. silica Same as silicon dioxide.silica the dioxide of silicon, occurring naturally as quartz, cristobalite, and tridymite. It is a refractory insoluble material used in the manufacture of glass, ceramics, and abrasives silica [′sil·ə·kə] (mineralogy) SiO2Naturally occurring silicon dioxide; occurs in five crystalline polymorphs (quartz, tridymite, cristobalite, coesite, and stishovite), in cryptocrystalline form (as chalcedony), in amorphous and hydrated forms (as opal), and combined in silicates. silica, silicon dioxide A white or colorless substance, nearly insoluble in water and in all acids except hydrofluoric; extremely hard; fuses to a colorless amorphous glass. Silica (silicon dioxide), SiO2, a compound of silicon and oxygen. In the form of the mineral quartz and other varieties, silica constitutes about 12 percent of the mass of the earth’s crust. It is widely used in the silicate industry, particularly in the production of glass (quartz glass and other types of glass), ceramics, abrasives, concrete structures, and silicate brick. Radio technology and ultrasonic devices are important areas of application of quartz crystals. (For a more detailed discussion of silica, seeQUARTZ.) Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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