Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Measurements have been made of the silica solubility of quartz samples in the size range 0.5–500μ, prepared from different sources. The solubility of all fractions between 0.5 and 70μ of quartz from a Belgian glass sand (‘Snowit’) was found to be proportional to the surface area available for solution; with quartz from Madagascar the same proportionality was found for samples with sizes between 4 and 50μ, but particles below 2μ in diameter had a much higher solubility per unit area. No colloidal polymerised silicic acid was found in the extracts of the quartz samples of sizes from 0.5 to 500μ, and its alleged occurrence could be explained by quartz and kaolin of small particle size. The solubility characteristics of quartz, tridymite, cristobalite and fused silica were found to be very similar. The heat of wetting by water of unetched and etched samples of quartz and tridymite was found to be of the order of 260 ergs./cm.2, which was attributed to the presence of silanol groups on the surface.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Paterson et al. (1959) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: