Hydrated Silica

Hydrated silica (CAS 10279-57-9) is a synthetic amorphous form of silicon dioxide carrying bound water from its manufacturing route. Produced as precipitated silica or silica gel, it gives formulators a single mineral chemistry that can clean, thicken, absorb, matte, or carry depending on which grade you specify. That versatility is why one INCI name shows up across toothpaste, cosmetics, coatings, food and feed, and industrial powders, yet the grades behind those uses are not interchangeable.

Applications by sector

Oral care

Toothpaste is the dominant use, and it draws on two distinct silica grades at once. Abrasive (cleaning) silicas do the polishing work; their particle size and hardness are tuned to lift stain and plaque while keeping abrasivity in a controlled range, the property dentifrice formulators track as RDA. Thickening silicas build viscosity and body, hold the paste structure, and keep clear-gel formulas stable. A typical paste blends both. Because the cleaning-versus-thickening split is driven by particle size, structure, and oil absorption rather than chemistry, specify the grade by function: a thickening silica will not deliver the cleaning a formula needs, and an abrasive grade dropped in for body can push abrasivity too high.

Personal care and cosmetics

Beyond oral care, hydrated silica works as a thickener and rheology modifier, an oil absorbent and mattifier in skin and color cosmetics, a suspending agent that keeps pigments and actives dispersed, and an anticaking and bulking agent in pressed and loose powders. Higher oil-absorption grades matte hardest, but the same absorbency can dry a formula or shift its slip, so grade selection is a balance rather than “more is better.”

Coatings and inks

In coatings and inks, hydrated silica is a matting agent that roughens the cured film surface at a microscopic scale to scatter light and knock down gloss, and it contributes flow and anti-settling control. Matting efficiency tracks with particle size and pore structure: coarser, high-pore grades flatten gloss with less loading, while finer grades preserve clarity and feel. The tension is matting power against transparency, so the grade follows the finish you are targeting.

Food and feed

Synthetic amorphous silica is used as an anticaking agent and free-flow aid in powdered foods and as a carrier for liquid flavors, vitamins, and additives in feed premixes. Food and feed applications require a grade manufactured and documented to the appropriate food or feed specification; confirm regulatory status for your jurisdiction and intended use before formulating.

Industrial

Industrial formulators use hydrated silica as a free-flow and anticaking aid in powders, a carrier to convert liquids into dust-free flowable solids, a functional filler, and a carrier base for defoamer concentrates. These uses lean on the same levers (surface area, oil absorption, and particle size) that govern the cosmetic and coatings grades.

Forms and grades

Two synthetic routes dominate. Precipitated silica is made by reacting an alkaline silicate solution with acid, then filtering, washing, drying, and milling to a target particle size; it is the workhorse behind most oral-care, coatings, and free-flow grades. Silica gel is produced through a gel-and-wash route and tends toward higher internal porosity and absorption capacity, which suits matting and liquid-carrier roles. Within each route, the variables that actually decide performance are particle size, oil absorption, pore structure, and BET surface area; pick the grade by the number that drives your application, not by the name alone. Specifications are confirmed per grade on the Certificate of Analysis.

Handling

The hydrated, synthetic amorphous silica supplied here is a different material from crystalline silica (quartz, cristobalite); amorphous and crystalline forms are not regulated or handled identically, and the distinction matters when you assess workplace exposure. For this grade, the GHS data on file reports it as not meeting GHS hazard-classification criteria. As with any fine powder, manage dust generation and follow good industrial hygiene practice. The current Safety Data Sheet governs handling, storage, and disposal; consult it before use.

Bulk sourcing

RawSource sources hydrated silica in bulk across abrasive, thickening, matting, and carrier grades and ships in bags, drums, and super-sacks to formulator and purchasing specifications. Send your target grade, particle-size or oil-absorption window, and volume, and we will quote against it; a Certificate of Analysis and Safety Data Sheet accompany every order. Request a bulk quote.