Physical properties of sodium silicate-based substances make them very attractive for commercial/industrial use. Liquids and solids based on sodium silicate and produced by PQ Corporation have a density from 1.6g/cubic cm. to about 1.4 g/cubic cm.
A very big difference between acrylic and oil paint is the drying time. Acrylics dry in a matter of minutes to hours and oils dry in a matter of hours to weeks! This is a huge factor when choosing whether or not to choose oils versus acrylics.
Definition: A type of paint made with synthetic resin as the medium (liquid) to bind the pigment (color), rather than natural oils such as linseed used in oil paints. It has the advantage of drying faster than oil paint and being water soluble. The first acrylics were produced in the 1920s and 1930s in Germany, with acrylic paints specifically produced for fine artists emerging in the 1950s. One of the first big name artists to use acrylics was David Hockney.