What Are The Materials And Processes Used To Manufacture Fumed Silica?
Fumed silica, or pyrogenic silica, colloidal silicon dioxide, is an amorphous white inorganic powder that has high specific surface area, nano-scale primary particle size and a relatively high (among silica products) concentration of surface silanol groups. It can be applied in many industries as functional additives, such as reinforcement, thickener, thixotropic agent, anti-settle, anti-sag, anti-caking, free flow aid, matting agent, etc.
Raw Materials Used in Manufacturing Fumed Silica
Fumed silica is synthesized from the hydrolysis of high-purity silane in a flame of oxygen and hydrogen at high temperature, followed by a cooling process, aggregate process, separation and de-acidification. The main raw material of fumed silica is usually tetrachlorosilane or methyl trichlorosilane, below is the chemical equation:
Manufacturing Processes of Fumed Silica
- Here is the manufacturing process of fumed silica:
- Vaporize the raw material tetrachlorosilane or methyl trichlorosilane,
- mix with hydrogen and oxygen, then goes to reactor 3 by burner 1.
- All materials pyrohydrolysis in reactor 3, then enter collector 4, this is the process of formation of clusters of particles via gathering small particles by forming strong chemical bonds between the particles. The end product of this process is “aggregate”
- The aggregates enter cyclonic separator 5. After three-tier separation, the silica particles are separated from the gases and then enter the deacidification furnace.
- After deacidification, the end product, which is our HIFULL fumed silica product, enters hopper 9; and the hydrochloride/ HCI is removed from silica under high temperature, which is treated and we get by-product hydrochloric acid.
Hubei Huifu Nanomaterial Co., Ltd. manufactures more than 10 grades of fumed silica, both hydrophilic and hydrophobic. We get ISO, REACH and participate in setting ISO18473-3-2018, ISO18473-1-2015 and ISO23157. We are strong in R&D and product quality and factory capacity. please check Datasheet or send it to email: tww@hifull.com.
