Sodium orthosilicate is the

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

with the molecular formula . It is one of the

sodium silicate Sodium silicate is a generic name for chemical compounds with the formula or ·, such as sodium metasilicate , sodium orthosilicate , and sodium pyrosilicate . The anions are often polymeric. These compounds are generally colorless transparent ...

s, specifically an

orthosilicate In chemistry, orthosilicate is the anion , or any of its salts and esters. It is one of the silicate anions. It is occasionally called the silicon tetroxide anion or group.C. A. Kumins, and A. E. Gessler (1953), "Short-Cycle Syntheses of Ultra ...

, formally a

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

of the unstable

orthosilicic acid Orthosilicic acid () is an inorganic compound with the formula . Although rarely observed, it is the key compound of silica and silicates and the precursor to other silicic acids . Silicic acids play important roles in biomineralization and ...

.M,. G. Barker, P. G.Gadd (1981): "The preparation and crystal structure of sodium orthosilicate, ." ''Journal of Chemical Research'', London] Chemical Society, volume 9, pages S:274 (synopse), M:3446-3466 (main).

Uses

Sodium orthosilicate has been considered as an surface tension, interfacial tension reducing additive in the

waterflooding In the oil industry, waterflooding or water injection is where water is injected into the oil reservoir, to maintain the pressure (also known as voidage replacement), or to drive oil towards the wells, and thereby increase production. Water inje ...

oil field A petroleum reservoir or oil and gas reservoir is a subsurface accumulation of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. Such reservoirs form when kerogen (ancient plant matter) is created in surrounding rock by the presen ...

s for enhanced oil extraction. In laboratory settings, it was found to be more effective than

sodium hydroxide Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations and hydroxide anions . Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic base and al ...

for some types of oil. Sodium orthosilicate has been found to stabilize

ferrate Ferrate loosely refers to a material that can be viewed as containing anionic iron complexes. Examples include tetrachloroferrate ( eCl4sup>2−), oxyanions ( ), tetracarbonylferrate ( e(CO)4sup>2−), the organoferrates. The term ferrate derives f ...

films as an anticorrosion treatment of

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...

and

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistan ...

surfaces.John R. Harrison (1954): "Process for treating metals with ferrate solution". US Paten
US2850415A
assigned to E. I. du Pont de Nemours

Natural occurrence

Sodium orthosilicate has not been found in nature. However, the mineral chesnokovite, chemically the related salt disodium dihydrogen orthosilicate []₂[] · 8, was recently identified in the Kola Peninsula.

References

{{reflist [ ategory:Silicates

Uses

Natural occurrence

See also

References