SiO2kaltaisen

SiO2kaltaisen is a Finnish term used to describe materials that are silica-like, meaning they are primarily composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2) or possess a silicon-oxygen network characteristic of silica. The term is descriptive rather than a formal chemical designation, and it appears in Finnish-language technical writing to indicate similarity to SiO2 in composition or structure.

Most SiO2kaltaisen materials fall into two broad classes: crystalline silicas such as quartz, cristobalite, and tridymite; and amorphous silicas such as fused silica, silica glass, and silica gel. In both cases the framework consists of a three-dimensional network of corner-sharing SiO4 tetrahedra, though the degree of order varies from crystalline to amorphous. Doping with small amounts of other oxides can modify properties while preserving the silica-like character.

Key properties associated with SiO2kaltaisen materials include a high melting point, chemical inertness, optical transparency in the visible range, and relatively low thermal expansion (especially for fused silica). Mechanical hardness and brittleness are typical of crystalline silica, while amorphous forms can be more compliant.

Natural occurrences include mineral forms such as quartz and opaline silica. Industrially, SiO2kaltaisen materials are produced as glass, optical fibers, silica gels, precipitated or fumed silica, and silica fillers for paints, rubber, and concrete. They are also used as catalyst supports and in electronic insulation and nanomaterials.

See also: silica, silicon dioxide, silicate, fused silica, glass, quartz.