Fumed silica is a fine powder produced by exposing silicone tetrachloride or quartz sand to a pyrolysis process. It has good thixotropic qualities and is used as a thickening agent, filler, and reinforcing agent in various products. Fumed silica is also added to cosmetics and toothpaste for its light diffusing and mildly abrasive qualities. However, it poses an inhalation risk due to its extremely fine structure.
Fumed silica is a fine powder formed by the exposure of silicone tetrachloride or quartz sand to a pyrolysis process. This produces a powder that exhibits a low overall density with high surface area values and good thixotropic qualities. Fumed silica is widely used as a reinforcing filler and thickening agent in a wide variety of products such as foods, paints and adhesives. It also serves as a desiccant and is often added to cosmetics and toothpastes due to its respective light diffusing and mildly abrasive qualities. Fumed silica does not have carcinogenic characteristics, but poses an inhalation risk due to its extremely fine structure.
Silica is an extremely hard silicone oxide that occurs naturally in quartz sand. When exposed to a pyrolysis process, a fine powder is formed composed of microscopic grains of fused silica with a high surface area to bulk density ratio. The pyrolysis process involves exposing the raw silica to very high temperatures, typically in the region of 5,400°F (3,000°C), in the absence of oxygen. The process produces a very fine powder with non-porous particles ranging in size from 5 to 50 nm. The powder also has a very high surface area to bulk ratio with values ranging from 50 to 600 m2/g.
The extremely fine, non-porous nature of fumed silica, or fumed silica as it is also known, makes it an ideal thickener and thickener with outstanding thixotropic qualities. Thixotropic refers to a substance characteristic of reducing viscosity or thickness with prolonged agitation or agitation. This makes fumed silica an ideal filler for paints, causing them to dilute during application and regain their viscosity once set, preventing drips and runs. This feature is also beneficial in formulating printing inks that allow for high definition levels during application. Fumed silica is also a popular filler and reinforcing agent in many coatings, sealants and adhesives.
When added to foods such as milkshakes, fumed silica imparts body without solidifying during preparation or transportation. Just like silica gel, fumed silica also has good drying qualities. The powder is often added to cosmetics for its ability to scatter light and as a mild abrasive in toothpaste. Fumed silica does not have carcinogenic properties but, due to its extremely fine structure, poses an inhalation hazard when suspended in air. If inhaled in excessive quantities, it can cause irritation of the lungs with associated long-term irreversible damage.
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