Skip to content
CarCareTruth

Potassium Silicate

  • Bases
  • CAS 1312-76-1
  • IUPAC: Potassium silicate

Potassium Silicate (CAS 1312-76-1) appears in 1 of the 2,122 car-care products CarCareTruth tracks (as of August 2026).

Strongly alkaline in concentrate; may cause skin and eye irritation at concentrate strength (the Simple Green Pro HD SDS does not assign separate ingredient-level H-codes for potassium silicate at the mixture's <1% concentration). At the <1% concentration typical in detailing degreasers it contributes modest alkalinity without independent hazard escalation.

Potassium silicate is a water-soluble alkaline salt used in heavy-duty cleaners and degreasers as a builder. It provides pH buffering, helps soften water by sequestering metal ions, and acts as a corrosion inhibitor on metal surfaces — particularly aluminum and zinc — by depositing a thin silicate film that retards acid attack. In automotive degreasers it appears at sub-1% concentrations alongside other alkaline builders (sodium metasilicate, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate) and contributes to the formula's grease-cutting capacity without the harshness of stronger caustics like sodium hydroxide.

In aquatic systems it dissociates into potassium ions and silicate, neither of which is meaningfully bioaccumulative; the silicate ion is essentially a soluble form of silica and is environmentally benign at trace concentrations.

Health & environment profile

VOC
no
Prop 65 listed
no
Asthmagen
no
EPA Safer Choice
no
Aquatic toxicity
no
Biodegradable
no
Bioaccumulative
no
Persistent
no
Ozone depleting
no
Microplastic
no
PFAS
no
Env. score
4/5
Purpose: Alkaline builder and corrosion inhibitor in heavy-duty cleaners and degreasers; provides buffering capacity and helps protect metal surfaces

Common questions about Potassium Silicate

What is Potassium Silicate used for in car care?
Alkaline builder and corrosion inhibitor in heavy-duty cleaners and degreasers; provides buffering capacity and helps protect metal surfaces
Is Potassium Silicate a VOC?
No. Potassium Silicate is not classified as a volatile organic compound (VOC).
Is Potassium Silicate on California's Proposition 65 list?
No. Potassium Silicate is not on California's Proposition 65 list.

1 product contain this

Related

Health and environment notes translate the manufacturer Safety Data Sheet, the GHS classification, and authoritative regulatory listings (California Prop 65, EPA). Not medical advice. They describe the ingredient itself; whether a hazard applies to a finished product depends on its concentration and how it's used.