IBERSIL®
Precipitated silica
Precipitated silicas of the IBERSIL® series present a wide applicability spectrum, and its use is significant in the animal feed and human food sector, acting as a carrier for aromas or other additives as active liquid substances; it is used in agriculture as a grinding aid or as a carrier and it can also exert an anti-caking and/or fluidifying effectin many other different fields besides Feed or foodstuffs, such as the pharmaceutical industry, or in paints and varnishes.
Absorption capacity, flowability and powder evolution are the three most interesting properties, both of the silica itself and of the product obtained in the final application.
The first of them is directly related to the oil absorption (DOA) and the greater it is, less silica is necessary to support a given amount of liquid, keeping a good degree of fluidity with very little powder in the medium. In general, silicas of the IBERSIL® D series have high absorption values, varying from 210 to 280 ml DOA/100g. These IBERSIL® D products present different mean particle sizes in the range from 60 up to 300 microns, and depending on the final use a compromise between particle size distribution and oil absorption capacity should be reached. The silicas that belong to this group are IBERSIL® D-100, D-100P, D-100M, D-100MS D-111, D-211, D-250 and D-300. Our technical staff can tell you which one is best suited to your specific needs.
The fluidity/flowability and dust generation are associated with the average particle size (D50) and with the distribution of sizes. In general, products with a low percentage of fine particles, less than 75 microns, produce little powder and have great fluidity, if their cohesiveness is good. However, small-sized silica, the IBERSIL® A series, acts as a fluidifying agent, as it has a spacing effect between product particles and it also absorbs any potential excess fluid in the medium, fluidifying the whole. In the same way it happens with serie IBERSIL® D, particle size distribution and oil absorption capacity will indicate which silica within the set fits better each use. IBERSIL® A includes IBERSIL® A-150 and A-400.
Products
IBERSIL® A-150
A small-sized silica (d50=15-20 microns) with moderate absorption that makes it suitable for use as an anti-caking and fluidifying agent.
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IBERSIL® A-400
It has the most efficient anti-caking and/or fluidifying properties of all of the IBERSIL® A series thanks to its low particle size ( d50=12 microns, approx.) and its higher absorption capacity. It is used in mixtures which require very low percentages of this technological additive and great efficiency.
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IBERSIL® D-100P
With an absorption capacity similar to that of IBERSIL® D-100, its higher mean particle size (d50=200 microns, approximately) and its particle size distribution with a low percentage of fines, make this silica a good active substance carrier in applications where flowability plays a key role.
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IBERSIL® D-100
Its particle size of around 100 microns and its high absorption capacity (245 ml/100g DOA, approximately) make IBERSIL® D-100 an ideal support for many applications and a good grinding aid, as well as an anti-caking agent for various mixtures.
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IBERSIL® D-100M
Its particle size of around 100 microns and its high absorption capacity (245 ml/100g DOA, approximately) make this silica the most suitable carrier for mixtures with a very high load of active substance, together with IBERSIL® D-100 MS.
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IBERSIL® D-100MS
With an absorption capacity similar to that of IBERSIL® D-100M, its larger mean particle size (d50=130-150 microns, approximately) makes this silica the best choice for blends with high concentration of active substances where flowability is critical.
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IBERSIL® D-250
This is the IBERSIL® Series silica with the largest mean particle size (d50=300 microns, approximately). It is produced in microspheres and has a reasonably good absorption capacity, being an excellent carrier for a wide range of substances, maintaining excellent flowability.
Markets it targets:
IBERSIL® D-300
It is a silica with a large particle size (d50=300 microns, approximately) with the appearance of microspheres and a high absorption capacity that makes it serve as a support for active substances with great fluidity that other large silica cannot achieve.
