After some years the silica particles might have received moisture or some other stuff fumes. I am thinking how can I make sure the particles are in the same quality as once made? Or if there is some procedure to retrieve them usable?
Water and other volatiles can be removed by heating silica in controlled conditions (these reactions are not chemical, but simple adsortion of molecules).
However, depending of exposition, some components may be dangerous or even unable to be removed. You should verify if your silica was simpliy left in direct or indirect exposure to aitmospheric air (for example through holes and crachs in the containing vessel, or if it was left in the open), or if on this exposition there were also some kind of chemical vapour (like chemical reactions from a laboratory,
If you suspect contamination with chemical reactants, you should better throuw up your silica, and/or keep the residual silica on the deepers parts of the recipient (they were more protected) for immediate use.
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