Silica

Silica, or silicon dioxide, is one of the most abundant materials on earth and is regularly found in water. In drinking water or wastewater, it is rarely a concern due to the low concentrations in which it is found but in some industrial applications such as in power stations its presence is a real issue.

Poor steam quality in power generation is often caused by silica, resulting in a build up of deposits on the turbines. This can reduce efficiency or have even worse effects.

Silica is measured via colorimetry using ammonium molybdate chemistry and with a long path length, very low levels of silica can be measured.