There are many ways to obtain matting agents from silica, which can be divided into two categories according to their manufacturing processes. One is the gel method, and the other is the precipitation method. Both processed products can be made into standard silica matting agents. The treatment process refers to the use of organic (paraffin) or inorganic materials to modify the silica surface to a certain extent. Treated silicas have different particle sizes, particle size distributions, and pore volumes.

The matting effect of silica is relatively strong, and it may lead to an increase in viscosity when used in large amounts. There is a tendency to precipitate during storage, especially for untreated silica.

The synthetic aluminum silicate can partially replace titanium dioxide as a high-quality extender and can be used in emulsion primers. The product can show a balanced matting effect in a dry emulsion paint film. It can be used as matting agent in long oil alkyd resin system, but it must be dispersed together with pigment and filler. Except in powder coating systems, silica matting agents can be applied to all coatings.