Embodiments of the invention include silica fiber compositions useful for treatment of animal wounds and tissue, as well as for other applications in industry. The fiber compositions may be formed via electrospinning of a sol gel produced with a silicon alkoxide reagent, such as tetraethyl ortho silicate, alcohol solvent, and an acid catalyst.

The present invention relates to core shell silica particles, wherein each core shell silica particle comprises a silica core, and a surface of the silica core is etched with metal silicate, the core shell silica particles prepared by: i) admixing an amount of silica particles in water with an amount of a base, wherein the base comprises a monovalent metal ion, to produce core shell silica particles, each core shell silica particle comprising a silica core, and a surface of the silica core etched with a silicate of the monovalent metal ion; and ii) reacting the core shell silica particles formed in step i) with a metal salt comprising a second metal ion, to form core shell silica particles comprising silicate of the second metal ion on the surface of the silica core.

The present invention relates to core shell silica particles, wherein each core shell silica particle comprises a silica core, and a surface of the silica core is etched with metal silicate, the core shell silica particles prepared by: i) admixing an amount of silica particles in water with an amount of a base, wherein the base comprises a monovalent metal ion, to produce core shell silica particles, each core shell silica particle comprising a silica core, and a surface of the silica core etched with a silicate of the monovalent metal ion; and ii) reacting the core shell silica particles formed in step i) with a metal salt comprising a second metal ion, to form core shell silica particles comprising silicate of the second metal ion on the surface of the silica core.

A method for manufacturing granulated silica. The method includes granulating silica powders each having a primary particle size of 5 to 50 nm by use of water, and hydrophobizing each surface of the silica powders with a silicon atom-containing hydrophobizing agent before or simultaneously with the granulation step.

A method for manufacturing granulated silica. The method includes granulating silica powders each having a primary particle size of 5 to 50 nm by use of water, and hydrophobizing each surface of the silica powders with a silicon atom-containing hydrophobizing agent before or simultaneously with the granulation step.

Provided is a silica that exhibits a high matting property when utilized as a matting agent for a paint, and can also suppress the occurrence of cloudiness. The silica has an aggregated structure in which primary particles are aggregated, has a particle diameter ratio R represented by the following equation (1) of from 4.3 to 5.2, has an absorbance of 0.6 or less for light having a wavelength of 700 nm as an aqueous dispersion having a concentration of 1.48 mass %, and has a particle density measured with a He pycnometer of 2.18 g/cm.sup.3 or more: Equation (1) R=.sup.LD50/.sup.CD50 (in the equation (1), .sup.LD50 represents a volume-based 50% cumulative particle diameter (μm) of the silica measured based on a laser diffraction/scattering method, and .sup.CD50 represents a volume-based 50% cumulative particle diameter (μm) of the silica measured based on a Coulter counter method).

Provided is a silica that exhibits a high matting property when utilized as a matting agent for a paint, and can also suppress the occurrence of cloudiness. The silica has an aggregated structure in which primary particles are aggregated, has a particle diameter ratio R represented by the following equation (1) of from 4.3 to 5.2, has an absorbance of 0.6 or less for light having a wavelength of 700 nm as an aqueous dispersion having a concentration of 1.48 mass %, and has a particle density measured with a He pycnometer of 2.18 g/cm.sup.3 or more: Equation (1) R=.sup.LD50/.sup.CD50 (in the equation (1), .sup.LD50 represents a volume-based 50% cumulative particle diameter (μm) of the silica measured based on a laser diffraction/scattering method, and .sup.CD50 represents a volume-based 50% cumulative particle diameter (μm) of the silica measured based on a Coulter counter method).

Provided is a method for producing surface-treated silica powder that has excellent gap permeability and that allows a resin composition to have low viscosity in a case where the surface-treated silica powder is used as a resin filler, for example, for a semiconductor sealant. A surface treatment agent is brought into contact with silica powder such that: (1) a cumulative 50 mass % diameter D.sub.50 of a mass-based particle size distribution obtained by a centrifugal sedimentation method is 300 nm to 500 nm (preferably 330 nm to 400 nm); (2) a loose bulk density is 250 kg/m.sup.3 to 400 kg/m.sup.3 (preferably 270 kg/m.sup.3 to 350 kg/m.sup.3); and (3) {(D.sub.90−D.sub.50)/D.sub.50}×100 is 30% to 45% (preferably 33% to 42%), to modify the surface of the silica powder, so that surface-treated silica powder is produced.

The present invention provides a method and kit for the treatment of surfaces, such as the skin surface of a user, to impart hydrophobic characteristics upon the surface. The treatment of surfaces to impart hydrophobicity protects equipment, personnel, and animals from the effects of aqueous solutions such as water, toxic slurries, concrete, acids and bases.

The present invention provides a method and kit for the treatment of surfaces, such as the skin surface of a user, to impart hydrophobic characteristics upon the surface. The treatment of surfaces to impart hydrophobicity protects equipment, personnel, and animals from the effects of aqueous solutions such as water, toxic slurries, concrete, acids and bases.