Liquid Glass

Do you mean sodium metasilicate, Na₂SiO₃?

If not, please provide a link to the product.

I'm confused, too. There's liquid glass, as you have pointed out, but there's also Spray-on liquid glass is about to revolutionize almost everything

which also has automotive applications.

I'm guessing she's talking about something to use to seal her radiator, but don't know for sure.

I have used Alumi-seal (disclaimer) with some success and sodium silicate, too. It's worth a shot to try to try to seal the radiator with it. It won't hurt; it may not help, either.

That looks like some cool stuff. I wonder if it's in the US yet. I'd spend the 8 bucks just to play around with it.

If nothing sticks to it I would like to put it on the bottom of my boat. It sounds like it would be a lot cheaper than the stuff I'm using and more effective providing it adheres to fiberglass.

Interesting concept--nothing sticks to it, yet it might stick to fiberglass?

Sorta like the war between Teflon and SuperGlue?

Taken from the referenced website:

The liquid glass spray (technically termed "SiO₂ ultra-thin layering") consists of almost pure silicon dioxide (silica, the normal compound in glass) extracted from quartz sand. Water or ethanol is added, depending on the type of surface to be coated. There are no additives, and the nano-scale glass coating bonds to the surface because of the quantum forces involved. According to the manufacturers, liquid glass has a long-lasting antibacterial effect because microbes landing on the surface cannot divide or replicate easily.

The liquid glass spray produces a water-resistant coating only around 100 nanometers (15-30 molecules) thick. On this nanoscale the glass is highly flexible and breathable. The coating is environmentally harmless and non-toxic, and easy to clean using only water or a simple wipe with a damp cloth. It repels bacteria, water and dirt, and resists heat, UV light and even acids. UK project manager with Nanopool, Neil McClelland, said soon almost every product you purchase will be coated with liquid glass.

Sounds like it will stick to just about anything.

thats good info, But its says-

The liquid glass spray produces a water-resistant coating only around 100nm -----------------------The coating is environmentally harmless and non-toxic, and easy to clean using only water or a simple wipe with a damp cloth

Don't you think there is a contradiction?

_{User name on CR4 are illusive and are not indicator of gender in anyway.}

Also by saying that it is only "water-resistant"would imply that it is not necessarily "water-proof" and will wash away. So much for proposed use as a bottom coat for my boat!!!

Also if it is one more product to kill off bacteria and microbes it probably cannot differentiate between the good "bugs" and the "bad" bugs so it will kill off those things which our body uses to become immune to the more serious infections and 'bugs". Overuse of anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners is not a good thing except in hospitals, nursing homes and the like. Plain old soap and water do a good job when used properly and in a timely fashion

Using water to clean the surface means to wipe dirt, etc off the layer of LG. It is apparently a surface treatment, not a finish. I think this means you need to occasionally rewipe the bottom of your boat. I've been using a silicone treatment in my car windshield washer, and the siliconizing of the glass has been impressive for months - visibility is drivable with or without wipers on. It doesn't say it kills "bugs", just keeps them from sticking. You sound like it's not your cup of tea, or you just don't like ths tea.

Reply #9 stated that it was "water resistant". I remember that rain gear could be stated as "water repellant" or "water proof" and there was a clear distinction as to each's ability to keep one dry.

If it is able to be used as a boat's bottom coat it would have to be more than just "water resistant".

Every time I take my boat out of the slip and go on plane it's as effective as "wiping" the bottom in my book.

Love tea and if this would work as a bottom coat I would be standing in line right now. Tried something years ago called Nylac which was supposed to be such a tight and smooth surface that Marine life couldn't attach to it. Guess they just didn't test it on the Marine life where my boat is.

I'll have some. It would be a perfect varnish for paintings. Even for the reverse side of a canvas. Even to protect fresco's or other sensitive art works or objects. I am so going to try this if I can get my hands on it. Great find Lyn, thanks.

I know a guy who used to put it in the crank case of an automobile that had a knocking problem to silence it long enough to sell it.

Problem was most of the time shortly after it was sold the engine would lock up. Not a very honest way to sell a car and I was never involved nor ever would be.

That was exactly what the us gov did during the automobile trade in deals. They disabled the engines with a material i believe was silicon in solution that froze the engine when it heated up.

Can you cite a reference to support that? Smacks of "urban legend" to me.

Perform the following procedure to disable the vehicle engine.

1. Obtain solution of 40% sodium silicate/60% water. (The Sodium Silicate (SiO2/Na2O) must have a weight ratio of 3.0 or greater.)

2. Drain engine oil for environmentally appropriate disposal.

3. Install the oil drain plug.

4. Since the procedure is intended to render the engine inoperative, drive or move the vehicle to the desired area for disablement.

5. Pour enough solution in the engine through the oil fill for the oil pump to circulate the solution throughout the engine. Start by adding 2 quarts of the solution, which should be sufficient in most cases.

CAUTION: Wear goggles and gloves. Appropriate protective clothing should be worn to prevent silicate solution from coming into contact with the skin.

6. Replace the oil fill cap.

7. Start the engine.

8. Run engine at approximately 2000 rpm (for safety reasons do not operate at high rpm) until the engine stops. (Typically the engine will operate for 3 to 7 minutes. As the solution starts to affect engine operation, the operator will have to apply more throttle to keep the engine at 2000 rpm.)

9. Allow the engine to cool for at least 1 hour.

10. With the battery at full charge or with auxiliary power to provide the power of a fully charged battery, attempt to start the engine.

11. If the engine will not operate at idle, the procedure is complete.

12. If the engine will operate at idle, repeat steps 7 through 11 until the engine will no longer idle.

13. Attach a label to the engine that legibly states the following:

This engine is from a vehicle that is part of the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS). It has significant internal damage caused by operating the engine with a sodium silicate solution (liquid glass) instead of oil.

14. File this document in the file for the new vehicle purchase.

Posted by The Auto Prophet at 11:59 AM

Thanks.

They were also allowed to drill a big hole in the engine block instead. The point was to render the engine useless.

My tax dollars at work. Go figure.

That sounds complicated. All I've ever had to do to disable the engine in a vehicle is buy it.

No, I'm not in the market for a 72 corvette. Thanks anyway.

Go look it up . It was all over the national news several different times.

FIY:

Chemically speaking , glass IS liquid.

Absolutely true, but few understand or believe that.....sadly.

Thanks for reminding me.

I used sodium silicate (liquid glass) AKA egg preserver to seal a cracked engine block years ago. Had a 348 Block that froze and broke down both sides, had it welded and then used the liquid glass to permanently seal it because it still leaked. I did have to bypass the heater core during the process, or it would have sealed it up too.

Sodium silicate is better know as "water glass" not liquid glass". It used to be used along with a ceramic cloth to wrap around mufflers and tail pipes to repair holes (muffler patch- exhaust pipe patch). When the heat hit it, it would harden like a rock.

It is also used in the CO2 process in foundries to make molds. Pure sodium silicate would make rock hard molds so sugar or corn products were added to make the mold more collapsible. The more sugar the softer the mold (relatively).

It will harden in time just being exposed to the CO2 in the atmosphere as was happening in the engine blocks and must be tightly capped to preserve.

Casandra27,

If you are speaking of car wax, here is a link. http://www.autogeek.net/liquidglass.html. It is in my opinion, the best car wax bar none.I have used it many times. It is the only car wax, that does not build up, you can apply it under the hottest of days, in direct sunlight. I could go on, but this may not be what you are even taliking about!