Hi,
Silica is one of the most inert substances known, due to the very strong
nature of the silicon-oxygen bond.  One of the few substances which will
react with it is HF, or elemental fluorine.
The resulting formation of the even stronger Si-F bond drives the reaction.
Also known to react are metals such as magnesium, which can reduce the SiO2
to elemental Si, under the right conditions at high temperature, or form
magnesium silicide.

Silver nitrate is an oxidizing agent, and would have little tendency to
cause a reaction with SiO2.

I found a website which described the stability of silica (SiO2) with
molten nitrates.

Thus, there should be essentially no reactivity of silica with silver
nitrate.  Of course, heating silver nitrate can cause the evolution of
nitrogen oxides and silver oxide.

Wayne Wolsey
Professor of Chemistry
Macalester College
651 696-6352
wolsey**At_Symbol_Here**macalester.edu
--On Wednesday, October 08, 2003 9:00 AM -0500 Rebecca Schafer
 wrote:r

> An article by Dick Sullivan gives caution regarding mixture of silver
> nitrate with finely particulated metals like aluminum or zinc.  I have
> read MSDS and other safety information regarding this compound but have
> found nothing regarding mixture with silica.  I am trying to make a 14%
> silver nitrate silica.  The plan was to dissolve the silver nitrate in
> water add the silica and mix well.  Then heat it in a microwave for 10
> minutes to speed drying.  Does anyone have any information to support
> this procedure?
>
> Thanks
> Rebecca Schafer

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