polymerization pH of potassium silicate = below 10 ?!?!

Ok, both from posters here and the leading manufacturer of wholesale agricultural potassium silicate bulk all say it polymerizes at a pH lower than 10. At first I thought, "Why did I just see it dissolve so quickly in room temp. distilled water?", one answer of which tried to hit me: "I suppose H20 rapidly went up to 10 as I added K2OSi?"
... although if it weren't dissolving some how would it up the pH anyway...?
Also, most commercial aqueous solutions except the super-diluted type warn you to stir in your "6% potassium silicate liquid concentrate"(etc.) before anything nutes, so it doesn't cause goodness knows what to precipitate out the other way around before it thins out in the res, but tell me this:
We don't grow our plants at or above pH of 10 (below which soluble silicates supposedly polymerize into useless silica gel, even as stated by manufacturer!)
What's to prevent the potassium silicate from doing this as soon you add it, even to plain H2O before nutes??
I don't understand!
Is there some magical, unlisted stabilizer in the liquids sold vs. plain "powder" or "glass" + H20?
I will admit some further confusion because there is documentation stating to get true solution you have to use heat and pressure and water, not just stir in potassium silicate.
Thanks in advance

...Well I see Sodium silicate polymerizes at pH 10 anyway... I thought it was silicates in solution period...
Either way is this my answer: (from PQ corp)
When solutions of relatively high concentrations are
acidified, the soluble silicate anions polymerize to form
a gel. (BUT?) --> When relatively dilute concentrations of dissolved
silica are acidified, activated colloidal silicate solutions
(sols) can be formed.
THERE is it...? If we add it carefully to our, say, pH 6 water it doesn't polymerize due to overconcentration at a lower pH...instead we are AIMING for these
COLLOIDAL silicates still hanging onto being dissolved?
It's looking like this is the case.
It still doesn't explain why potassium silicate initially dissolves when it hits room temp. distilled water (chicken and egg - it likes to be dissolved above pH10 but as a solid how does it begin dissolving in tepid pH 6.5 water to even begin raising the pH)?
I guess it does, though. Hopefully the only need to add heat and pressure to water to get potassium silicate to be in true solution is when they're making saturated concentrates they want to remain stable on the shelf...?

not one reply? Is this in some RTFM FAQ I'm being rude and not reading first or does no one in the mood for typing know the answer?

I don't think anyone knows dude, you are asking a bunch of stoners, not scientists. Your best bet is to just try it and see if you notice a difference in your plants.

Not sure if this applicable but I use potassium silicate and sodium silicate. I've never made my own but it looks like you need to make an solution using water and potassium to bind the material as silica bonds with both potassium or sodium.
you probably need to figure out at what temperature they chemicals bond at and at what solution % of each
Hope that's clear.

i do research on silicate anion for a company that supplies coatings for things you've likely bought or will buy. I stumbled on this looking for some information regarding 2+ oxidation state metal polymerization catalysts and their effect on polymerization as a function of pH and temperature (or gibbs free energy)...etc, etc, etc....
Anyway, I know a lot about silicates, silicate polymers, silicones, etc...not everything, but I work with them, have developed several silicate anion polymers going into production trials, and I have explored all types of characteristics of the silicate anion. I am at work currently and haven't the time, but I will try to check back to see if anyone is still interested, as if I get a little more information, I can certainly advise, and would love to.

Thank you,
-FRS

Whoa what the fuck? This thread got spammed to shit. To the OP: whatever you're talking about is waaay over my head. All I know is I use Mad Farmer Silica Shield (although I don't grow hydro) and I've never noticed it gelling up or any negative effects, regardless of what order I mix in my nutes.

pH determines the solubility and, together with concentration, determines the degree of polymerization.
Using ph'd water you normally would feed your plants with, required ppm levels are easily achieved