Abstract: A method of treating a liquid medium to remove from it matter present therein comprises adding to the liquid medium at least one of an at least partially undried sorbing agent (a), a freshly prepared sorbing agent (b) and an in-situ sorbing agent (c). Sorbing agent (a) comprises a hydrotalcite-like material resulting from the preparation thereof in a liquid reaction medium, which preparation allows retention, in the hydrotalcite-like material, of at least 10% of free liquid, based on the weight of the hydrotalcite-like material, including the free liquid, and (a).sub.1 which sorbing agent is present in an amount, on a dry weight basis, of the sorbing agent, by volume of the liquid medium to be treated, of .ltoreq.0.035% w/v, or (a).sub.2 the preparation of the hydrotalcite-like material is such as to provide a grain size of the hydrotalcite-like material of .ltoreq.130 .ANG., as measured in the <001> direction by x-ray diffraction on a subsequently dried material.

Abstract: This invention provides a three dimensional inorganic oxide structure comprising a myriad of cavities interconnected by holes having a narrow pore size distribution, in which the diameters of the cavities is in the range from 1 to 50 .mu.m and that of the holes in the range 1 to 10 .mu.m and in which the pore volume in the range 1 to 10 .mu.m is at least 2 cc/g and in which the inorganic oxide is selected from alumina, silica, titania, zirconia and mixtures thereof and a process for the preparation of such structures.

Abstract: A multistage precipitation and flocculation production process is disclosed in which primary silica particles are prepared and flocculated useing an alkali metal salt solution and further silica precipitated in the presence of the salt, the pH of the mixture reduced and the silica isolated, purified carefully dried and optionally milled.