Precipitated Silica Performance and Functionality
Precipitated silica is an extremely versatile material, with properties that can be manipulated during the manufacturing process to deliver products with a wide range of performance-enhancing properties engineered for many end-use applications, including:
Reinforcing Fillers for Tires
Silica functions as a reinforcing filler for tires, including passenger car, light truck, truck, agricultural and off-the-road (OTR) applications, and is increasingly used at high loadings in high-performance (HP), ultra-high-performance (UHP) and energy-efficient tire treads to reduce rolling resistance and increase traction and wet-grip. Innovative silica products also extend wear resistance for longer tire/tread life, and silica reinforcement of agricultural, OTR and other types of heavy-duty tires helps improve their cut-, chip-, chunk- and tear-resistance and the adhesion of various tire compounds/plies.
Reinforcing Fillers for Rubber
As a reinforcing filler for black, non-black, colored and translucent industrial rubber and silicone elastomers, silica enhances the strength and durability of belts, hoses, seals, gaskets, motor mounts, wire and cable coatings, golf grips, shoe soles and other manufactured goods.
Free-Flow, Anti-Caking and Carrying Agents for Food, Agriculture and Industry
Silica has widespread application as a free-flow/anti-caking agent and is commonly used by industrial manufacturers to convert difficult-to-handle liquids into powdered liquids or dry liquid concentrates to improve process efficiency or product performance. Because of its ability to free-flow powders and carry flavors, nutrients and active product ingredients, silica is used extensively in:
- Foods, such as spices, seasonings, drink mixes, powdered eggs, grated cheese and more
- Animal feed to carry nutrients such as vitamin E acetate
- Agricultural products such as pesticides, insecticides and herbicides
- Industrial chemicals, including resins for rubber compounds and flow-modifiers for coatings
Flatting Agents for Paints, Coatings and Inks
Sometimes referred to as a flatting or matting agent, silica is an efficient and cost-effective material for reducing the gloss of coatings formulations to desired levels.
Thickening Agents for Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants and Other Engineered Materials
Silica can be engineered for applications where rheology control of products prior to, during and following application or use is paramount.
Microporous Fillers for Battery Separators
Because of its microporous structure, silica offers invaluable performance properties for battery separator applications, including electrolyte wettability and low electrical resistance to silica-polymer sheet.