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Sodium Silicate

Q: Is Sodium Silicate natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Sodium silicate itself is not used in perfumery. It is manufactured by fusing sand (SiO2) with sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) at high temperature. The fragrance note is reconstructed from mineral and alkaline-clean materials..

POPULAR AND WEIRD / metallic · earthy · fresh

Sodium Silicate

Category	POPULAR AND WEIRD
Subcategory	metallic · earthy · fresh
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	N/A - inorganic compound
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	China, Germany, United States
Pyramid	Base

Alkaline, glassy, faintly soapy. Water glass — the liquid industrial chemical that smells of concentrated alkalinity and mineral surfaces.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Alkaline, mineral, glassy, with a faint soapy quality. Not a strong scent but a sharp chemical sensation — the feeling of high pH in the nose. More caustic than chalk, less organic than clay. The 'glassy' descriptor is partly synaesthetic — the material's transparent, vitreous appearance influences scent perception.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Sharp alkaline-mineral sensation

After a few hours

Faint mineral-soapy quality

After a few days

Barely perceptible — mostly a chemical sensation, not a lasting scent

The Full Story

Sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), commonly called water glass or liquid glass, is a glassy mineral compound used industrially as an adhesive, sealant, and in detergent formulation. Its smell is distinctly alkaline — a sharp, mineral, slightly soapy character from its high pH (typically 11-13).

The actual aroma is minimal — sodium silicate is not volatile. What people perceive as its smell is primarily the alkaline pH irritating the nasal mucosa, plus trace amounts of sodium hydroxide and other alkaline breakdown products. It is a chemical sensation as much as a true olfactory one.

In perfumery, sodium silicate is a conceptual note evoking industrial chemistry, glass manufacturing, and the particular sterile-mineral quality of chemical workshops.

This note in Première Peau. Doppel Dänçers · Albâtre Sépia. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Did You Know?

Did you know?

Sodium silicate (water glass) was historically used to preserve eggs — coating eggs in liquid sodium silicate seals the shell pores and prevents air and bacteria from entering. A properly treated egg can remain edible for over a year at room temperature.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Sodium silicate itself is not used in perfumery. It is manufactured by fusing sand (SiO2) with sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) at high temperature. The fragrance note is reconstructed from mineral and alkaline-clean materials.

Molecular Formula	Na2SiO3
CAS Number	1344-09-8
Botanical Name	N/A - inorganic compound
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	WATER GLASS · LIQUID GLASS · SODIUM METASILICATE
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Flash Point	32.00 °F. TCC ( 0.00 °C. ) (est)
Specific Gravity	1.39000 @ 25.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Sodium silicate is a conceptual note used in industrial, chemical, and glass-themed compositions. No single molecule replicates it. Approximated using alkaline-mineral synthetics, clean-soapy materials, and sharp-chemical modifiers. Functions as an atmospheric accent in avant-garde and industrial compositions.