Ethyl silicate
Description
A liquid silicate that hydrolyzes to form a colorless, transparent film of silica. For application, ethyl silicate is dissolved in an anhydrous alcohol ethanol solution. Small amounts of water will cause the solution to gel. Once applied, moisture from the atmosphere initiates irreversible hydrolyzation producing a solid silica film in less than an hour. Ethyl silicate was introduced as a paint vehicle in England in 1931 for painting outdoor murals. It is used with alkali and acid resistant pigments fresco pigments. The silicate colors are durable and resistant to weathering. More recently, ethyl silicate has been used for consolidating, strengthening and weatherproofing stone, (masonry) mortars, and cements.
Synonyms and Related Terms
silicic acid tetraethyl ester; tetraethyl silicate; tetraethyl orthosilicate; tetraethoxysilane
Other Properties
Miscible in ethanol. Insoluble in water.
| Composition | (C2H5)4SiO4 |
|---|---|
| CAS | 78-10-4 |
| Melting Point | -77 |
| Density | 0.9356 |
| Molecular Weight | mol. wt. = 208.33 |
| Boiling Point | 165-166 |
Hazards and Safety
Combustible. Flash point = 40.6 C
Irritant to nose, eyes, lungs, and skin.
Mallinckrodt Baker: MSDS
Authority
- Ralph Mayer, Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
- Richard S. Lewis, Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
- The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 3895
- Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000
- Paint in America, Robert Moss (ed.), John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1994 Comment: M.Phillips, "A Victorian Trompe l'Oeil"