Metal oxide or semimetal oxide spherical beads, a process for making, and a process for using

A process for producing spherical beads comprising at least one metal oxide and/or semimetal oxide, having a mean diameter in the range from 10 to 120 μm, a BET surface area in the range from 400 to 800 m2/g and a pore volume in the range from 0.3 to 3.0 cm3/g, wherein the diameter of a given bead at any one point of said bead deviates by less than 10% from the average diameter of said bead and the surface of said bead is substantially smooth, said process comprising the steps:

• (A) providing a mixture comprising at least one at least partially water-miscible organic solvent, water and at least one precursor compound of the at least one metal and/or semimetal oxide as mixture A,
• (B) providing a mixture comprising at least one at least partially water-miscible organic solvent, water and at least one acid as mixture B,
• (C) combining the mixtures A and B and reacting the at least one precursor compound of the at least one metal and/or semimetal oxide with said at least one acid to obtain a mixture C comprising an aqueous phase comprising the spherical beads and an organic phase,
• (D) separating the organic phase from the mixture C obtained in step C to obtain an aqueous phase comprising the spherical beads,
• (E) optionally treating the spherical beads obtained in step (D) with at least one acid, and
• (F) drying the spherical beads obtained in step (D) or (E),
• wherein the at least one precursor compound of the at least one metal oxide and/or semimetal oxide is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal silicates, alkaline earth metal silicates, colloidal silica sols, and mixtures thereof.