method of gelation of alkali silicate and its application in land consolidation

摘要

1,230,176. Gelling alkali metal silicates. SOC. INDUSTRIELLE DES SILICONES. 25 April, 1968 [26 April, 1967], No. 19690/68. Heading C1A. [Also in Division E1] Aqueous solutions of alkali metal silicates are gelled to form silica gel by bringing into contact with at least one gelling agent consisting of a diol halohydrin and/or at least one substance which can liberate a diol halohydrin by hydrolysis. The hydrolysable derivative may be an ester of a halohydrin, e.g. an acetate, in particular #-chloro-ethyl acetate or a silicon compound of the type R n Si(ORSP1/SP) 4 -n where n = 0- 3; R is alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylaryloxy or aralkoxy radical, or Cl or H; RSP1/SP is a chlorine substituted alkyl radical. R is preferably methyl and RSP1/SP a chloro ethyl radical. Preferably, aqueous sodium silicate is used with a specific gravity of 1À2-1À45 and a SiO 2 /Na 2 O molar ratio of 3À3-3À9. The gelling agent may be diluted andis preferably present in an amount of 30% wt. less than that of the silicate used. It is preferable to have the reagents present in stoichiometric amounts. An emulsifier and/or an inert filler may be added to the reaction mixture. The process may be used in the consolidation of soils (see Division E1).