I have got large amount of nano silica which i had ordered last year for my research, but after reading about risks associated with silica that can go into your body through breathing i'm bit worried. Just wondering if there is a way by which powdered nano silica can be converted into colloidal form
Thanks Magdalena for your quite descriptive answer. I am going to request for a face mask for this nano size material from my lab. But at the same time i was also considering the option of possibly converting it into a colloidal form if it is somewhat feasible.
I am using nano silica to accelerate the hydration reaction of cement so that we get high early concrete strength. Also, when we use nano silica in a powdered form it doesn't provide good dispersion in the concrete mix because of very light particles and also due to agglomeration. Moreover, while mixing the particles fly off out of the mixer which again is a risk to our health.
I require the material in a good dispersion in the colloidal form therefore, plain or deionised water will tend to make it a gelly like material. I asked somebody, sometime ago about that chemical composition of the solution in which the colloidal silica comes in, i think it was some sodium chemical, which possibly could be NaOH, but i'm not fully sure.
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