Re: Silicates
- Subject: Re: Silicates
- From: T*@hstna.com
- Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2002 10:09:26 -0600 (CST)
People should be aware that silicates are not at all the same as silicones.
Many silicates are common soil minerals. Vermiculite is a silicate, for
example. Silicones are a large family of carbon-silicon compounds. Some of
these are oily, surface active compounds, others are rubbery like silicone
caulk. Potassium silicate is a water soluble compound that is harshly
alkaline. All these are derived from the element silicon from which Silicon
Valley gets its name. I notice confusion on this issue when I hear the home
of the semiconductor industry called Silicone Valley, as in silicone breast
implants.
