Abstract: The present invention relates to light-scattering silica particles having a light scattering property, the light-scattering silica particles including: a plurality of hollow portions each having a closed pore structure inside the particle, in which the light-scattering silica particles have a volume-based cumulative 50% particle diameter of 1 ?m to 500 ?m and an average circularity of 0.80 or more, and in use of the light-scattering silica particles, a reflectance A of a water cake containing 20 mg/cm2 of silica per measurement cross-sectional area at an ultraviolet wavelength of 310 nm is 30% or more.

Abstract: The present invention relates to hydrophobic silica particles including silica particles each being impregnated with a higher alcohol having 19 or more carbon atoms, and having a binding degree of the higher alcohol to the silica particles of 70% or more measured by the following measuring method: the measuring method: 1 g of the hydrophobic silica particles is dispersed in 10 mL of tetrahydrofuran, and after maintaining the dispersed state for 5 minutes, a filtered residue is washed with 20 mL of tetrahydrofuran and 20 mL of hexane and dried, and a ratio, represented by Equation (1), of a carbon content of the hydrophobic silica particles after washing to a carbon content of the hydrophobic silica particles before washing is defined as the binding degree, binding degree (%)=carbon content (%) of hydrophobic silica particles after washing/carbon content (%) of hydrophobic silica particles before washing×100 (1).

Abstract: To produce scaly silica particles in which formation of irregular particles is prevented. A process for producing scaly silica particles, which comprises a step of subjecting a silica powder containing silica agglomerates having scaly silica particles agglomerated, to acid treatment at a pH of at most 2, a step of subjecting the silica powder subjected to the acid treatment, to alkali treatment at a pH of at least 8 to deflocculate the silica agglomerates, and a step of wet disintegrating the silica powder subjected to the alkali treatment to obtain scaly silica particles.