Long lead times, inconsistent quality, and a lack of technical or customer service are all issues businesses may face when importing raw materials from outside the United States. In many cases, imported materials may offer what looks to be cost savings, but when factoring in all the aforementioned issues, any savings realized can quickly evaporate.
W.R. Grace is an expert in silica-based products and specialty chemicals and has produced them in the USA for over 100 years. One such product is LUDOX® colloidal silica, used in various applications within industries such as coatings, concrete, paper, emission control, thermal ceramics, and more. LUDOX® is made in the USA and offers reliable supply, quality, and versatility, which are difficult to find in imported materials.
Stable Supply
Consistent Quality
Dedicated Service
Eliminate long lead times and large minimum order quantities. LUDOX® is produced domestically, and many grades are stocked by ChemPoint.
Avoid product quality issues and complicated return processes. The manufacturing process for LUDOX® is tightly controlled to ensure consistency and purity from batch to batch.
Save time developing your products by formulating with experts. ChemPoint has technical experts standing by. Let us help guide you through your questions.
About LUDOX® Colloidal Silica
LUDOX® products are discrete, amorphous, spherical silica particles dispersed in water that do not exhibit crystallinity or porosity. These colloidal silica products offer high reactivity with organic and inorganic materials, substrates, and polymers to provide binding and surface-modifying properties which improve chemical formulations in the coating, paint, refractory, concrete, and catalyst industries. Since colloidal silica consists of electrostatically stabilized silica in water, the cumulative water weight in these products incurs relatively higher shipping costs per weight of solids. Thus, US buyers can save more by purchasing LUDOX® colloidal silica that is both manufactured and stocked in the USA.
Find a Colloidal Silica Grade that Meets Your Specifications
LUDOX® is available in many grades ranging in particle size, surface charge, counter ion, pH, and silica content. Typically, colloidal silica with smaller particle sizes function better as binders to increase strength and durability in latex paint films, thermal ceramic refractories, and synthetic catalysts. This is due to the higher surface area than colloidal silica with larger particle sizes. Colloidal silica with larger particle sizes are excellent surface modifiers to provide higher friction and antiblocking properties. Some applications may require a colloidal silica grade with a specific surface charge, pH stability range, or counterion to provide adequate stability.
With several options available, a few grades may match your application’s specifications and requirements. Review the descriptions of the LUDOX® grades below to find one that meets your current needs.
Can't find your grade or not sure of the specifications? Check out our LUDOX® Selector Guide to find a colloidal silica grade based on functionality. You can also explore recommendations for LUDOX® based on specific applications on our technical resource page here.
