Hydrophobic silica particles, use of same, and method for producing hydrophobic silica particles

A composition of hydrophobic silica particles comprising hydrophobic silica particles impregnated with a higher alcohol having 19 or more carbon atoms, the composition of hydrophobic silica particles having:

• an average particle diameter of from 2 μm to 7.2 μm,
• an oil absorption value of from 20 mL/100 g to 400 mL/100 g,
• a circularity of 0.95 or more
• an impregnation amount of the higher alcohol of 1.0 μmol/m2 or more, and
• a binding degree of the higher alcohol to the silica particles of 70% or more;
• wherein the binding degree of the higher alcohol to the silica particles is measured by the following measuring method:
• 1 g of the hydrophobic silica particles is dispersed in 10 mL of tetrahydrofuran, and after maintaining the dispersed state for 5 minutes, a filtered residue is washed with 20 mL of tetrahydrofuran and 20 mL of hexane and dried, and a ratio, which is represented by Equation (1) shown below, of a carbon content of the hydrophobic silica particles after washing to a carbon content of the hydrophobic silica particles before washing is defined as the binding degree,
• wherein the binding degree (%)=carbon content (%) of hydrophobic silica particles after washing/carbon content (%) of hydrophobic silica particles before washing×100 (1);
• and
• wherein the hydrophobic silica particles are capable of forming a stable dispersion in a liquid paraffin phase.