The present invention provides a process, which includes:coating at least a portion of a surface of at least one silica particle with at least one wax, wherein the coating is carried out in at least one gas at a temperature above the melting point of the wax and below the decomposition temperature of the wax, to obtain at least one wax-coated silica particle. Other embodiments of the present invention provides processes for impregnating the silica particle with wax and uses of the wax-coated or wax-impregnated particles.