The core reason and application of silica as matting agent

Created on 2025.11.13

Silica has become a mainstream matting agent due to its porous structure and high specific surface area, which can disrupt regular light reflection and control the gloss of coatings.

Production Process

Industrially, it is mainly prepared in two ways. The first is the gas-phase method, which uses silicon tetrachloride as a raw material and hydrolyzes it in a high-temperature flame to produce nano-sized fumed silica. The product has high purity and good dispersibility. The second is the precipitation method, which is produced by the reaction of sodium silicate with acid to form a precipitate, followed by washing, drying, and crushing. This method has lower costs and is suitable for large-scale production. Both processes can precisely control the particle size and porosity of silica to adapt to different matting requirements.

Matting Principle

After silica powder is added to a coating, it disperses uniformly to form a micro-rough surface. When light shines on it, it cannot form a specular reflection on the coating surface. Instead, it is scattered and refracted multiple times by the porous structure, and only a small amount of light is finally reflected into the observer's eyes, thus achieving the matting effect. The larger its specific surface area and the more reasonable its particle size distribution, the higher the matting efficiency.

Application Fields

It is widely used in industries such as coatings, inks, and plastics. In the field of coatings, it is suitable for furniture paints, architectural coatings, automotive primers, etc.,which can achieve matte or semi-matte effects. In the ink industry, it is used in printing inks to enhance the quality and feel of prints. In plastic processing, it is added to films and injection molded parts to reduce surface gloss and improve tactile feel and appearance.

Quanxu Technology has been deeply involved in the chemical industry for over 20 years, focusing on the R&D and innovation of a full range of silica products. The product line covers matting agents, silica anti-corrosion pigments, nano/fumed alumina, and paper chemicals.