• Animal Feed: Many feed additives are used in minute quantities in the form of vitamins and mineral premixes. These premixes are manufactured using synthetic amorphous silica as carriers and anticaking agents. By making a free-flowing, powder premix the homogenous addition to the feed can be successfully achieved. Difficult-to-handle flavours, antioxidants and vitamins (in liquid or semi-liquid form) can be converted to dry powders prior to their addition to feed materials.
• Automobile Tyres: new application for synthetic amorphous silica is in energy conserving automobile tyres (“green” tires) where the silica reduces the rolling resistance of the tyre resulting in lower fuel consumption.
• Catalyst Precursors: SAS is used as a precursor for the manufacturing of different catalyst systems.
• Consumer Use Products: Due to their inert nature SAS is used in cosmetics (especially tooth paste), pharmaceuticals and foods. They provide thickening in pastes and ointments to inhibit the separation of components and maintain flow properties in powder products. They can also function as a carrier for fragrances or flavours.
• Electronic membranes: SAS is used in battery separators, the microporosity of SAS make the membranes semipermeable, needed for ion migration. The main application is automotive batteries.
• Flow additive for powdered foods: SAS with high specific surfaces area leads to a full coverage of powder particles even with low loading. The silica coverage significantly reduces the adhesion between single powder particles (ball bearing effect) and minimizes moisture admittance to the powder particles.
• Lacquers: The most commonly used flatting agents in lacquers are SAS. Silica facilitates the production of lacquers with controlled gloss and sheen from fully matt to various levels of semi-gloss, eggshell etc.
• Packaged goods: As a desiccant, as bags of silica gel to prevent damage from moisture.
• Paints: SAS are used as functional pigments in emulsion paints. They improve the dispersion of the primary pigment (titanium dioxide or colour pigment) improving paint coverage and brightening the colour. Silica also improves scrub resistance, stains removal and reduces overall formulation costs.
• Paper: Small amounts of SAS added to paper improve printability and opacity. This makes it possible to produce lower grammage paper grades with savings in wood resources. SAS is also used in specially coated paper grades for ink jet printing, copying etc.
• Plastics: Plastic films often tend to stick to each other but this can be prevented by the addition of SAS as an anti-blocking agent.
• Rubber and Silicones: SAS is used as reinforcing filler for many non-staining and coloured rubber and silicone products. Typical applications are footwear, conveyor belts, mats, seals, etc. The silica fillers impart improved wear resistance and physical properties such as tear and tensile characteristics.
• Thixotropy Control: SAS is also used in polyester and epoxy resins for thixotropy control providing improved handling properties for these materials.
