Abstract: A process for preparing silica sols substantially free of alkali metal ions which comprisesA. adding to a boiling aqueous solution of a lower alkanol amine a 2-10% by weight aqueous solution of silicic acid, the mole ratio of SiO.sub.2 to lower alkanol amine being in the range of from 1:1 to 100:1;B. evaporating water during the addition of the silicic acid to the aqueous solution of the lower alkanol amine so as to maintain a constant volume;C. recovering the aqueous colloidal silica sol which is substantially free of alkali metal ions, said sol having a mole ratio of SiO.sub.2 to alkanol amine in the range of 1:1 to 100:1; and then if desired,D. treating this sol with both a cation and anion ion exchange resin so as to further deionize the resulting alkaline metal-free silica sol, as well as to remove substantial quantities of the alkanol amine. Then if an alkaline sol is desired, adjusting the pH of the resulting acid sol of Step D to between 9 and 10 with an aqueous solution of ammonia.

Abstract: Silica organosols are described which comprise hydroxy free organic solvents as the continuous phase and as the discontinuous phase which is uniformly dispersed throughout the hydroxy free organic liquid, discrete dense particles of colloidal silica having a particle size within the range of 3 - 100 mu. Also described is a method for preparing these silica sols which comprise adding hydroxy free organic solvents to commercially available aqueous silica sols and then removing the water from the mixture by distillation.