Hydrophobic-lipophilic magnesium oxysulfate whisker (MOSw) was prepared by surface modification with lauric acid and the surface morphology of MOSw was examined with field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) was used to characterize the crystalline degree of MOSw and modified MOSw (MOSw-LA). Both FESEM and XRD suggested that modification occurred on the surface of MOSw exclusively. The inexistence of physisorbed lauric acid was proved by Fouier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric analyses ruled out the possibility that magnesium laurate (LA-Mg) physisorbed on the surface of MOSw-LA. Solid state C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) further verified the formation of COO-Mg< bonds based on the significant changes of chemical shift and decrease in intensity. Hence, we confirmed that the type of surface modification of MOSw with lauric acid was chemical adsorption taken place between lauric acid and Mg<. In order to study the dynamic state approach of this reaction, a pH meter was employed to monitor the reaction process synchronously, and then we proposed a reaction mechanism which was similar to the "acid-base neutralization". This research provides a detailed explanation for a kind of surface modification, which may be further used in the performance of whisker/polymer matrix composites. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V.