What’s the difference between sodium silicate made from soda ash and sodium silicate made from glauber’s salt?

Sodium silicate, also known as water glass or soluble glass. Chemical formula: Na2O·nSiO2. Chemical composition of sodium silicate: Sodium silicate is a soluble alkali metal silicate material formed by the combination of an alkali metal oxide and silicon dioxide. It is also known as water glass or soluble glass. Their molecular formulas are Na2O·nSiO2; the coefficient n in this formula is known as the modulus of sodium silicate. It represents the molecular ratio (or molar ratio) of silicon dioxide to alkali metal oxides in sodium silicate. The modulus of sodium silicate is an important parameter for sodium silicate; it generally ranges from 1.5 to 3.5. The higher the modulus of sodium silicate, the less soluble solid sodium silicate is in water. When n is 1, it can be dissolved in room-temperature water; as n increases, hot water is required for dissolution. When n exceeds 3, steam at a pressure of over 4 atmospheres is needed for dissolution. The higher the modulus of sodium silicate, the greater the silica content; this increases the viscosity of sodium silicate, making it prone to decomposition and hardening, while also enhancing its adhesive properties. There are two methods for producing sodium silicate: the dry method and the wet method. The dry process uses quartz sand, soda ash (chemically known as sodium carbonate), sodium sulfate (also called Glauber’s salt or mirabilite), and sodium hydroxide (also known as caustic soda) as raw materials. After thorough mixing, the mixture is melted in a furnace at a temperature of 1300–1400°C. A reaction occurs according to the following equation, producing solid water glass. This solid water glass is then dissolved in water under a steam pressure of 0.4 MPa–0.8 MPa to obtain liquid water glass. The wet process uses quartz powder (sand) and caustic soda as raw materials. In an autoclave under 2–3 atmospheres of pressure, a hydrothermal reaction takes place to directly produce liquid water glass. Industrial sodium silicate exhibits different properties depending on the ratio of sodium oxide to silicon dioxide in its molecules. The molar ratio of sodium oxide to silicon dioxide is referred to as the modulus. Those with a modulus greater than 3 are called neutral water glass, while those with a modulus less than 3 are known as alkaline sodium silicate. Its products generally include solid sodium silicate, hydrated sodium silicate, and liquid sodium silicate.