Colloidal silicon dioxide is widely used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food products. Its small particle size and large specific surface area give it desirable flow characteristics that are exploited to improve the flow properties of dry powders in a number of processes such as tableting and capsule filling. Colloidal silicon dioxide is also used to stabilize emulsions and as a thixotropic thickening and suspending agent in gels and semisolid preparations. As an excipient it is used as glidant, suspending agent, tablet disintegrant, thermal stabilizer, viscosity-increasing agent.