Talk:Silicon dioxide

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[edit] Silicon dioxide in food

Can you please tell me why I would find Silicon dioxide in the ingredients list on a packet of food and how safe is it to consume?

I second this --Plonk420 22:09, 19 Apr 2005 (UTC)

While I'm not sure why it exactly would be an *additive*, I do know that many people commonly ingest it - in the form of vegetables. Silica is fairly common in plant cell walls. One study I know of (there might be more) suggests that silicon dioxide may help lower cholesterol [1]. Of course, I doubt that that's what Burger King had in mind. One theory says that silica is added to increase the crunch in, say, pies or burgers. Silica is poorly absorbed by the body, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue (and again, it's commonly found in edible plants). Im guessing that the danger with eating those silica gel packets found in beef jerky packages and other snacks (used to keep the pack dry) is the possibility of *inhaling* it. That would cause silicosis, which would be bad. As a food additive, it *should* be stuck on food well enought that inhalation shouldn't be a problem. bluemonq 23:26, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

I was also looking it up to see why it is used in food, but found no answer. I noticed it's the last ingredient in Nestea iced tea mix, and that can't be for "crunchiness" since liqueds aren't normally crunchy. 76.64.156.168 (talk) 23:18, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Inhaling crystalline silica DUST can cause silicosis. The gel packets dont have dust, they typically have beads. If you want to see why you should not eat them, pour a fresh dry pack of the beads into water and watch them explode...

Speaking of all this, the Burger King page was a little bothersome, and the SiO₂ was hard to find mentioned- would somebody perhaps just compile a list or something so that we wouldn't have to look so hard or pick on Burger King?--Honalululand 20:47, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

When Companies mess up and add too much Silicon dioxide people get pretty sick. My 1 year son went to the hospital over night when we was throwing up. I looked on the ingredients list and saw Silicon dioxide. I thought in my head,"why do they have silicon in food?". Vstmassie (talk) 17:09, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Use in tires

Silica is now being used in motorcycle tire manufacturing. It makes the tires more complient and temperature stable. This lets manufacturers make tires that grip better and still handle loads, without excesive ware from higher temperatures. It also affects wet weather traction.

[edit] Reactions of silica

Please outline some of the basic reactions that silica gel is likely to undergo, especially those relating to the preparation of the products listed in the page. could you also include a method for purifying the silica source into the final silica product.

Please come to my job and do it for me so I can stay at home and throw food at my wall. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.198.151.130 (talk) 10:45, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Silica in shampoo

Isn't it a good thing to have silica in shampoo? But what does it do in it? 71.250.17.62 02:20, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Chemistry

As far as I know there is no free silicon in nature, but silicon is in oxidized form; in silicon dioxide (quartz etc.) or in complex oxides with metals (silicates). So there is little to happen (chemically) for silicon in a fire or in a lightning. I removed the fires and strokes of lightning producing silicon dioxide(and fulgurites added there afterwards). --AB-fi 18:29, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

It was badly written. I meant to say that silicon dioxide could be formed naturally from silicates by some high temperature processes. I apologise for lack of thought and poor proof reading. The section is now much improved compared to the time when my sentences were added. Jaraalbe 21:43, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Silicon dioxide solubility

How soluble is silicon dioxide? My chemistry teacher told me to always remember nothing is insoluble. That, in water (an excellent solvent) everything disolves a bit. Even gold, plastics and, yup, sand. So whats the figure? It should be included in the table, along with any solvent it dissolves in strongly enough in to be consideded actually quite soluble. I would love to find something that will dissolve the beakers in which it was created! - Jack (talk) 23:53, 7 August 2006 (UTC)

The solubility of silica in water is approximately 0.012 G in 100g, which classifies it as insoluble (120 ppm).192.122.237.11 22:42, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

And if you want something that dissolves beakers, try HF. Nasty, nasty stuff. WB_Frontier

[edit]  ?

Does this material turn into glass when heated? C'uzz i have no idea.

[edit] silica health benefits

The Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging Vol 11(2) 2007 has a special symposium including an editorial and five articles on emerging data with respect to the health benefits of silica. According to articles, silica is the second most prevalent element after oxygen. Articles refer to compelling data suggesting that silica is essential for health.

Here's a nice summary of medical uses/benefits of silica. Don't know how trustworthy the site is, although it does cite some legitimate sources. If anyone is in the mood of adding this info to the page, please do so. Aurimas 06:44, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] MSDS?

What's supposed to be linked at the MSDS link in the info box? Donald Hosek 23:45, 25 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bottled water

I see that a mention of use in bottled water has been removed following this revision. I'm not sure why it was removed, but I know for sure that silicon dioxide can be found in mineral water (at least the one I drink - Naleczowianka), and it's listed under Mineral Content, so it's probably somewhat significant. 36 mg/L of SiO₂ in the mentioned mineral water. I will revert back to the older edit and add additional info if no one minds. Aurimas 08:11, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

Just noticed that it's in fact an undo by Scarian of the previous revision. Any reason why this was removed? Manufactured forms is probably not a good place to put it, I agree. Maybe there's a need to start a new section regarding SiO₂ in foods? The first comment on this page already hints at a need for this section. Aurimas 08:17, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

silica is also a selling point of Fiji brand bottled water. Among other claims, the label says "it provides the water's great mouth feel" 97.82.247.200 00:37, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] SiO₂ Most common in crust?

You'd think that it being the most common compound in the crust would make it notable. Although I'm not really sure of this. Can anyone confirm this?-=Elfin=-³⁴¹ 04:31, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Actual SiO2 is not as common as that table might suggest (60%); that's a simplified way of expressing all silicon compounds, including a large variety of silicates. To make the point more obvious, note that the table says there is 3% of "Na2O". This represents again many sodium minerals, but in this case there is no pure Na2O at all, since it is very reactive (it is a very strong base). --Itub (talk) 13:21, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] another name for SiO_{Subscript text}

another name for sioSubscript text is silicon dioxide,silica, or silox they are there scientific names  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.21.93.105 (talk) 01:06, 15 March 2008 (UTC) 

[edit] Ambiguous statement

"Inhaling finely divided crystalline silica dust in very small quantities (OSHA allows 0.1mg/m3) over time can lead to silicosis, bronchitis or (much more rarely) cancer, ..."

Does this mean:

• "Inhaling finely divided crystalline silica dust in very small quantities over time can lead to silicosis, bronchitis or (much more rarely) cancer, ... but the OSHA defines a limit of 0.1mg/m3 below which the risk is minimal.";
• "Inhaling finely divided crystalline silica dust in very small quantities over time can lead to silicosis, bronchitis or (much more rarely) cancer, ..., even if exposure is below the OSHA 0.1mg/m3 limit.";

—? Cutler (talk) 09:50, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] How safe is ingesting silica in food???

I came to this article to find out how safe it is to ingest food (or drugs) that have silica as an ingredient. (This applies to a large number of especially drugs, and I just purchased for the first time a diet drink -- in powdered form -- with silica as an ingredient.)

My only concern was that the silica particles might be jagged and irritate my digestive tract. Sure enough, the article confirms this potential hazard:

"Small pieces of silicon dioxide are equally harmless, as long as they are not large enough to mechanically obstruct the GI tract, or jagged enough to lacerate its lining."

Thing is, this powdered product might have been pulverized by people blissfully unaware of what their processing might be doing to the shape of the silica particles, and I'd like to know this is not a risk before using it.

Does anyone have an idea whether jagged silica particles is is a realistic danger for food or drugs that are manufactured with silica as an ingredient?

If so, this would be well worth mentioning in the article.

P.S. Someone asked about the purpose of using silica as an ingredient in food products. My guess is that it has nothing to do with making the product "crunchy" (or if it did, we'd know that jagged silica particles is a real possibility!). Rather, I suspect it's used just as it is in silica gel packets: to keep the powder from becoming moist. (And therefore avoid clumping.)Daqu (talk) 01:00, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Silox- is this really a name for silica?

Silox is often used as a shorthand name for (t-butyl)₃SiO. It is the name of an industrial group. Is it also a name for silica? --Axiosaurus (talk) 09:02, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

It appears to be used by some for silicon dioxide deposited from a vapor, Chemical vapor deposition (CVD), in preparing semiconductor devices e.g. [2]. Mikenorton (talk) 09:21, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

In fact it appears to be derived from a trademark of Applied Materials Inc. for their low temperature vapor silica deposition process. In this interview if you're interested [3].Mikenorton (talk) 09:38, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

thanks for that- the ref seems to refer to the process e.g. CVD at atmospheric pressure using (presumably) the trademarked process/equipment, but I have not read the paper just the abstract. IMO silox is a very specific usage and a name used for the passivating oxide film on silicon created using the silox process, and because of the ambiguity with the tert-butyl compound and the fact it is a trademark putting it in the lede with the specious derivation of silox from silex (I would bet that it came from silicon oxide)is questionable.--Axiosaurus (talk) 10:17, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

Removed. BTW I think that silex is in there to explain the origin of 'silica'. Mikenorton (talk) 10:37, 23 October 2008 (UTC)