Sodium Silicate Polymer

The experiment was about combining a sodium-silicate solution with ethyl (alchohol) to create a polymer (Sodium Silicate Polymer). Relatively easay to make, I originally predicted that it would be similar to the glue polymer that we created on Tuesday, ribbery, but slightly harder in touch. After following the procedures to create this polymer, it turns out I was wrong, again. Sodium Silicate is a very thick liquid and does not travel as freely as water or juice. Instead, it slowly crawls on. When ethyl and the sodium silicon was mixed, they immediately clumped together, sort of like this:

Sodium Silicon Polymer stuck together

Physical Characteristics included these:
Clumpy                              Sticky
Very rough                        Drippy
Fragile                               Tough
Gooey                               Uncompact
Full of alchohol                 Sticky
Smelly

Although it was to crumble several times through the process of making the polymer, there was no breaking up of the parts. With all the physical characteristics measure, we moved on to the bounciness test. Taken from the top of a ruler, the polymer (now in a spherical ball type of form) is dropped and measured to see how high it bounces. This is repeated for a total of five tests.

Sodium Silicate Polymer Bouciness Test

1: 19 cm

2: 20 cm

3: 21 cm

4: 17 cm

5: 19 cm

Average: 19.2 cm

Now this was to be repeated except cooled for 10 minutes inside of a refridgerator. While waiting, our teacher interrupted us for an announcement. This extended the cooling the time from 10, to 15 minutes. I do not believe it modified the polymer in any specific way though.

Sodium Silicate Polymer Bounciness Test (Cooled)

1: 16 cm

2: 16 cm

3: 18 cm

4: 19 cm

5: 19 cm

Average: 17.6 cm

Comparing the two tests, it was similar to the glue turnout. Cooling the ball made the ball seem to bounce lower by about 2 cm. Not very significant, but still noticable. In my personal opinion, the liquid contained inside the ball became less energetic, thus making the water more heavy and thick. Coolness makes energy less free and more compact. Less energy means lower action potential, such as bouncing the polymer. At least, this is what I think. I could be wrong, but I do not know at this time. This also is shown to bounce much higher than the glue polymer, a healthy 10 cm, which is higher than the glue polymer even bounced. But, even in the glue polymer, the cold test took a toll on its bounciness.

Conclusion: My hypothesis predicted the ball to be similar to the glue polymer, rubbery and smooth. In the end, it was the exact opposite of what I expected: rough and crumbly. It seemed to be hard to roll into a ball form, where as the glue polymer was fairly easy. The last thing the silicon polymer would be was rubbery. It took other tables several tried to even have the ball stick toghether, where we got lucky and had one attempt to go. It clumps together when scooped up with the stirring rod and seems to leave some residue behind. These applications are not what I expected and it makes my hypothesis incorrect.

Questions:
What characteristics are similar to the two polymers? Different?
The glue polymer I found to be more of a rubbery substance, that was squishy and very smooth. The silicon polymer was more rough and clustered together.

Similarities:
White
Polymers
Same sized
Squishy
Filled with liquid in some way

Differences:
Rough/ Smooth
Crumbly/ Forms Together
Falls Apart/ Strecthy
Drippy/ Contained liquid

Most commercial polymers are carbon based. What properties are shared between carbon and silicon that may inhibit their ability to polymerize?

They are chemical analogs, although Silicon is less reactive. This means that their characteristics are almost identical. Which means, their ability to become polymers are also shared.

Plastics are made of organic carbon polymers. What similarities does the carbon polymer share with the silicon polymer?

Some properties that they share are that they can be rough when in liquid/solid form. Although they share hardness, silicon is easily outclassed by carbon. It is much more efficient at keeping things sturdy and unbreakable, while Silicon is just sturdy. Carbon Polymer is very much similar to fiberglass, and is one of the hardest substances known to man. Not much in common between the two besides their hardness.

How did you know that a chemical reaction had happened when the solution and ethyl were mixed?

The substances immediately started to clump together and two being two different layers right when the mixture was stirred. Since both of these condoments were liquids when they started, it became known that something chenical had happened since the solution's properties began to change.
How could the liquid pressed out of the be found out?
Well, the only liquid that was inside the polymer was the added ethyl (alchohol). There couldn't be any pure liquid in the sodium silicon mix or else it would have blown up (sodium is an alkali metal). Therefore it leads to the conclusion that the ethyl is the only liquid in it.

Compare the ball to other members of the class. Measure properties.
Compared with Table 7 in front of us
It is larger in diameter than ours
Warmer
More chunky
Lumpy
Ours bounces a little higher than there's (when facing each other)
Ours is more translucent