Sophia, HalidaAmran, Ali2016-04-232016-04-232016-04-23wahyu sari yenihttp://repository.unri.ac.id/xmlui/handle/123456789/8257The synthesis of silica gel using tetraethoxysilane has been researched with reactions of hydrolysis and polycondensation. The amount of water used as reactant will determine the degree of hydrolysis and condensation. For it will influence the abilty of higroskopic of silica gel. Synthesis of silica gel was conducted by reaction of tetraethoxysilane, ethanol, and variation on water volume from the salt hydrate Ni(NO3). 6 H2O. After transparent solid gel was dried at 40 o C xerogel was obtained.. Analysis that conducted for silica gel consist of gelation time,% loss of weight and higroscopic test. The result shown gelation time for gel silica that have contains Ni salt less than silica gel with H2O, % loss of weight for silica gel with Ni salt less than silica gel that have contains H2O, and silica gel with Ni salt have more higroscopic than silica gel that consist of H2Oensilica gelTEOSthe salt hydrate Ni(NO3)6 H2O, sol-gelUR-Scientific Work Lecturer