Silica fume, also known as condensed silica fume or microsilica, is a spherical sub-micron amorphous silicon dioxide used in many applications.
Silica fume is a co-product of silicon or ferrosilicon production, consisting of ultrafine (sub-micron), amorphous, non-porous, perfectly spherical silicon dioxide (SiO2) particles, with purity levels of 85 to 99 %.
The main effect of these ultra-fine particles is to greatly improve particle packing and produce a highly pozzolanic reaction in concrete and other cementitious bond systems where the silicon dioxide reacts with calcium hydroxide, heightening performance levels and the strength and durability of these materials.
Additionally, silica fume, because of its amorphous (non-crystalline) structure and its specific area, provides other useful features to various applications, including improved sintering capabilities and enhanced high temperature performance of refractory castables, resulting in reactions between microsilica and other components of the refractory mix.
To summarize, silica fume has two key features which alone or in combination are the basis for its high performance:
The nano-sized spherical non-porous particles create an efficient "filler effect"
Primary particles have an average diameter of about 0.15 �¼m (150 nanometers)
Microsilica is a highly reactive form of silica producing a "chemical effect"
Thanks to its amorphous nature and high specific surface area.