Neutral-aged hydrophobic silica gels with reduced surface area

The present invention is neutral-aged hydrophobic silica gels having a reduced surface area and a method for their preparation. The method comprises three steps, where in the first step a mixture comprising a silica hydrosol and colloidal silica is contacted with a strong mineral acid at a pH less than about 1 to form a silica hydrogel having incorporated therein colloidal silica. In the second step the silica hydrogel is aged at a pH within a range of about pH 3.5 to pH 8. In the third step the silica hydrogel is contacted with an organosilicon compound in the presence of a catalytic amount of a strong acid to effect hydrophobing of the silica hydrogel to form a hydrophobic silica hydrogel having a surface area within a range of about 100 m2/g to 450 m2/g in the dry state. In a preferred method the hydrophobic silica hydrogel and is further contacted with a sufficient quantity of a water-immiscible organic solvent to convert the hydrophobic silica hydrogel into a hydrophobic silica organogel.