Column packings for liquid chromatography

Column packings for liquid chromatography comprising porous ceramics granules which have hydrophilic surfaces prepared by the steps comprising:

• (1) calcining a crystalline clay mineral having fibrous structure at a temperature of from 100.degree.-1200.degree. C.;
• (2) treating with an acid to remove alkali metal oxides and convert a portion of crystalline SiO.sup.2 in the mineral to a non-crystalline form to produce pores in the mineral of 0.1 .mu.m or less, the amount of MgO contained in the mineral after acid treatment being 30 wt. % or less;
• (3) calcining a second time at a temperature of from 100.degree.-1200.degree. C. to avoid any decrease in pore volume, the resultant packing having an SiO.sup.2 content of 60 wt. % or more thereby rendering the packing suitable as an HPLC stationary phase.