Abstract: An aqueous stabilized composition for the treatment of surfaces such as metals, particularly aluminum, comprises a tetraalkyl silicate or a monomeric or oligomeric hydrolysis product thereof, an inorganic passenger powder below 100 nanometer diameter such as fumed or colloidal silica and a stabilizer, all dispersed in a fluid aqueous medium. The stabilizer comprises a carboxylic acid polymer, copolymer or salt thereof, preferably an acrylic acid polymer, copolymer or salt thereof, and most preferably a polyacrylic acid.