Shin-etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

Hidekazu Uehara

Susumu Ueno

Kiyoshi Shirasuna

Keiji Shibata

Masanobu Nishimine

Yoshio Tomizawa

Yasuaki Nozawa

Hydrophobic silica fine powder is produced by pyrolyzing a silane compound to form a silica fine powder and hydrophobizing the silica fine powder with an organohalosilane as hydrophobizing agent in a fluidization vessel. A portion of the silica fine powder is bypassed to a waste gas line from the fluidization vessel and collected with a cyclone and bag filter, and the collected powder is fed to the fluidization vessel where it is hydrophobized. The amount of unreacted organohalosilane in the waste gases is reduced, alleviating the burden on waste gas treatment. The silica having the unreacted organohalosilane borne thereon is fed back to the fluidization vessel, increasing the reaction efficiency of organohalosilane.

Method for producing hydrophobic silica fine powder

Crude fumed silica resulting from pyrogenic hydrolysis is purified by continuously feeding particulate silica and steam or a mixture of steam and air in a steam/air volume ratio of at least 1/2 through an upright column from its bottom toward its top for forming a fluidized bed within the column at a gas linear velocity of 1 to 10 cm/sec. and a temperature of 250.degree. to 400.degree. C., whereby steam deprives the particulate silica of the halide borne thereon, and removing fine particulate silica from which the halide has been eliminated from the top of the column. Using a simple apparatus, pure fine particulate silica is collected at a low cost of energy consumption.

Method for porifying fine particulate silica

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Annaka, Japan

Hidekazu Uehara