E551 Anti-caking agent

E551 Silica, either colloidal, precipitated, or pyrogenic fumed, is a common additive in food production. It is used primarily as a flow or anti-caking agent in powdered foods such as spices and non-dairy coffee creamer, or powders to be formed into pharmaceutical tablets. It can adsorb water in hygroscopic applications. Colloidal silica is used as a fining agent for wine, beer, and juice, with the E number reference E551.

E551 In cosmetics, silica is useful for its light-diffusing properties. and natural absorbency.

Diatomaceous earth, a mined product, has been used in food and cosmetics for centuries. It consists of the silica shells of microscopic diatoms; in a less processed form it was sold as "tooth powder". Manufactured or mined E551 is used as the hard abrasive in toothpaste.

E551 is used as a defoamer component.

In its capacity as a refractory, it is useful in fiber form as a high-temperature thermal protection fabric.

E551 is used in the extraction of DNA and RNA due to its ability to bind to the nucleic acids under the presence of chaotropic.

E551 was used in the Stardust spacecraft to collect extraterrestrial particles.

E551, when cooled as fused quartz into a glass with no true melting point, can be used as a glass fiber for fiberglass.