Hydrophobization treatment of silica particles

1. Silica particles comprising primary particles, the primary particles having a volume average particle diameter of from about 80 nm to about 300 nm, a particle size distribution index (GSDv) of from about 1.10 to about 1.40, an average circularity of from about 0.70 to about 0.92, and a circularity distribution index (CDI) of from about 1.05 to about 1.50, the silica particles comprising primary particles having a circularity of about 0.95 or greater at a proportion of about 10% or less by number of particles,

wherein the particle size distribution index GSDv and the circularity distribution index CDI are defined as

GSDv =( D 84 v/D 16 v ) 0.5

CDI=( C 84 /C 16) 0.5

where D84v is the particle diameter at an accumulation of 84%, D16v is the particle diameter at an accumulation of 16%, C84 is the circularity at an accumulation of 84%, and C16 is the particle diameter at an accumulation of 16%, and

wherein a surface of the silica particles is hydrophobized by using a hydrophobization agent comprising an organosilicon compound having a trimethylsilyl group, and an amount of the hydrophobization agent is from 5% by weight to 80% by weight with respect to the silica particles.

2. The silica particles according to claim 1 , wherein the organosilicon compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of a silazane compound and a silane compound.

3. The silica particles according to claim 1 , wherein the organosilicon compound including a trimethylsilyl group comprises trimethylmethoxysilane or hexamethyldisilazane.

4. The silica particles according to claim 1 , wherein the primary particles have an average circularity of from about 0.80 to about 0.92.

5. The silica particles according to claim 1 , wherein the primary particles have an average circularity of from about 0.85 to about 0.92.

6. The silica particles according to claim 1 , wherein the primary particles have a volume average particle diameter of from about 150 nm to about 300 nm.

7. The silica particles according to claim 1 , wherein the primary particles have a volume average particle diameter of from about 165 nm to about 300 nm.

8. A method of producing silica particles of claim 1 , comprising:

providing an alkali catalyst solution, which includes a first alkali catalyst at a concentration of from 0.6 mol/L to 0.85 mol/L, in a solvent comprising alcohol; and

supplying tetraalkoxysilane and a second alkali catalyst to the alkali catalyst solution,

the tetraalkoxysilane being supplied at a supply rate of from about 0.002 mol/(mol·min) to less than about 0.006 mol/(mol·min) with respect to the alcohol, the supply rate corresponding to an amount per minute of from about 0.002 mol to less than about 0.006 mol with respect to 1 mol of the alcohol in the alkali catalyst solution; and

the second alkali catalyst being supplied in an amount of from about 0.1 mol to about 0.4 mol per minute with respect to 1 mol of a total supply amount of the tetraalkoxysilane supplied per minute.

9. The method of producing silica particles according to claim 8 , wherein the solvent comprising alcohol is a mixed solvent comprising the alcohol and at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of water, ketone, cellosolve and ether.

10. The method of producing silica particles according to claim 9 , wherein an amount of the alcohol with respect to the at least one solvent is about 80% by weight or more.

11. The method of producing silica particles according to claim 8 , wherein the first alkali catalyst is at least one selected from the group consisting of ammonia, urea, monoamine and a quaternary ammonium salt.

12. The method of producing silica particles according to claim 8 , wherein the tetraalkoxysilane is at least one selected from the group consisting of tetramethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane, tetrapropoxysilane and tetrabutoxysilane.