Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Slilica gel 4l for £2

Slilica gel 4l for £2

wg48 - 7-8-2017 at 01:41

In the UK B&M sell a cat litter called Silica Crystals at £2 for 4L. It appears to be be pure silica gel with less than 1% of a blue dyed component. The blue bits apears to be an organic dyed componet, because on heating that component first turns black with a visible evolution of water then on stronger heating turns white.

The gel gets warm/hot when combined with water and turns from from white translucant to water clear.

http://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/silica-crystals-cat-litte...

[Edited on 7-8-2017 by wg48]

Thestock - 7-8-2017 at 01:48

I have used a similar Australian product to make sodium silicate worked great without any drying

physics inclination - 7-8-2017 at 01:48

wait if I'm not mistaken that's what's in those "do not eat dessicant" baggies, and cats using it as litter will inevitably get it in their fur/paws, which they will lick clean

wg48 - 7-8-2017 at 02:43

Quote: Originally posted by physics inclination

wait if I'm not mistaken that's what's in those "do not eat dessicant" baggies, and cats using it as litter will inevitably get it in their fur/paws, which they will lick clean

Just to make to make it clear. I am not recommending it for your cat. I would assume you would train it to do this:

LOL

I do recommend it as a cheap desiccant or a cheap source of pure-ish SO2 for silicate production.

NedsHead - 7-8-2017 at 02:47

Are the blue pieces a moisture indicator and do they turn blue again if you rehydrate them?

wg48 - 7-8-2017 at 03:18

Quote: Originally posted by NedsHead

Are the blue pieces a moisture indicator and do they turn blue again if you rehydrate them?

No they are not a moisture indicator. They do do turn blue again (wet or dry) after being heated to a dull red heat. I strongly suspect the blue is an oganic dye that decomposes on heating to leave carbon (the black color) which burns away on strong heating to a dull red heat. They are probably added for aesthetic reasons though they may change color if peed on but the package does not say that.

NedsHead - 7-8-2017 at 03:30

That's a shame, I was hoping it was the indicating type repackaged as cheap kitty litter and maybe it could be reactivated

XeonTheMGPony - 7-8-2017 at 04:44

cobalt chloride is used in color indicating silica gell, and fyi the regen heat for silica is 250c ! not red heat!!!!

As the cat litter no idea what they used there, I suspect it is an ammonia sensitive compound I'd wager.

FYI Silica gell is fairly inert in the digestive track so if a cat consumes small amounts it will be harmless, same for humans, just some humans are not intelligent enough to figure out not to try and eat a bag of it if it happens to be next to some food! You'd think the taste would be a hint in of its self!

wg48

Sulaiman - 8-8-2017 at 12:30

I just got one 3.8 litre bag of B&M "Silica Crystals Cat Litter"
have you any further information on the composition of the contents.

unionised - 8-8-2017 at 12:48

I suspect that the blue stuff is whatever was cheap, but satisfied the idea that "I have seen this stuff before- the 'good' stuff has some blue bits".

wg48 - 8-8-2017 at 13:30

Quote: Originally posted by Sulaiman

I just got one 3.8 litre bag of B&M "Silica Crystals Cat Litter"
have you any further information on the composition of the contents.

Apart from it being silica gel with less than 0.1% of an organic blue dye, I have no additional composition data.

Do you suspect its not silca gel or contaminated?

Texium - 8-8-2017 at 13:53

It looks as if it is in beads. Is there a prilling agent or something holding it together? Pure silica gel should be a free flowing, almost liquid-like powder. Regardless, it should still be fine as a desiccant, though I was hoping for cheap home column chromatography when I saw the thread title.

JJay - 8-8-2017 at 14:04

I've used Wally World silica gel kitty litter for making sodium silicate. It contained a blue dye that turned red with strong base and green when heated to 800 C. I suspected it was something cobalt based but never figured out exactly what. I'd think this silica gel would contain something similar.

wg48 - 8-8-2017 at 14:14

Quote: Originally posted by zts16

It looks as if it is in beads. Is there a prilling agent or something holding it together? Pure silica gel should be a free flowing, almost liquid-like powder. Regardless, it should still be fine as a desiccant, though I was hoping for cheap home column chromatography when I saw the thread title.

Its consists of angular particles about 2mm to 5mm across.

S.C. Wack - 8-8-2017 at 14:15

Quote: Originally posted by zts16

I was hoping for cheap home column chromatography when I saw the thread title.

You just need a bigger ball mill or something. And very fine screens.

wg48 - 8-8-2017 at 14:38

Quote: Originally posted by JJay

I've used Wally World silica gel kitty litter for making sodium silicate. It contained a blue dye that turned red with strong base and green when heated to 800 C. I suspected it was something cobalt based but never figured out exactly what. I'd think this silica gel would contain something similar.

Cobalt chloride is is classifed as toxic in the UK where it was purchased so in theory there should be none it but if the raw materal came from china ... LOL

JJay - 8-8-2017 at 15:00

Cobalt chloride is GRAS for animal feeds in the U.S. *shrug*