Controlling factors of the particle size of spherical silica synthesized by a dry process

Abstract Silica is an important inorganic compound used in many materials, including quartz products and resin fillers. To synthesize silica by a dry process, combustion methods using organosilicon compounds as raw monomers have been extensively studied. However, few studies have considered mass production or compared preparation methods using different types of organosilicon compounds and the same equipment. In this study, we used six starting materials in a dry process and examined the effect of monomer species on particle shape and size. The amount of raw monomer supplied was adjusted so that the calorific value of combustion was the same for all the raw monomers. We focused on the calorific value because it affects the construction cost of industrial‐scale production plants. For example, when the calorific value is high, the manufacturing plant is large and costly because the heat generated after the reaction must be removed. We obtained spherical silica particles by a dry process using six monomers. The particle size depended on both the basic unit of the monomer and the required oxygen (RO) ratio of the primary burner gas. This combination was essential in determining the speed of the initial reaction, number of nuclei, and residence time. Consequently, we established a factor that determines the size of spherical silica particles and successfully adjusted the particle size.