Silica gel is a porous form of silicon dioxide. This compound has a very high surface area and is used for many applications.
It is a commonly used desiccant. It can also be used as a separating agent, catalyst carrier and adsorbent. Besides its use in chromatography, silica gel has also been used as a moisture-proofing agent, drying agent and cooling agent. In addition, it is known to be a heat storage system.
Silica gel can be classified into three types depending on the pore size. These types are: type A, B and C. The pore diameter of a silica gel can be from 4.5 to 7.0 nanometers.
Typical commercial silica gels have a molar mass of around five acres. They have a bulk density of 0.7 grams per milliliter.
Silica gels can be prepared by acidifying a solution of sodium silicate to produce a gelatinous precipitate. After this, the gelatinous precipitate is washed to remove any soluble materials.
Silica gels are commonly used in thin layer chromatography. However, they are not commonly used in STES applications. Nevertheless, specialty silica gels may exhibit unique stationary phase parameters.
Silica gels have a high specific surface area, which allows them to adsorb and desorb moisture. They can also be applied to plastic sheets, glass sheets and aluminium.
Silicone gel is colorless and transparent. It is easy to process and mould. Moreover, it is available in a variety of forms. For example, it can be manufactured in spherical, irregular and polymeric forms.
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