SILICA SYNTHESIS

A method for the production of a silica includes (1) reacting a silicic acid solution with an amine, to precipitate the silica from an aqueous solvent system. The method also includes removing at least a portion of the amine associated with the precipitated silica by treating the silica in an aqueous solvent system at a pH that is reduced from that of the reaction mixture (2). The reduction in pH may be by first reducing the pH of the aqueous solvent system, and then removing the silica from the aqueous solvent system. Alternatively the reduction in pH may be removing the silica from the aqueous solvent system first, before treating the silica with an aqueous solvent at a pH below that of the silica forming reaction. Subsequently the silica is removed from the solution (3).