Change in the shape of clay microparticles is essential for applications such as adsorption of toxic elements, micro-encapsulation, and liquid chromatography. To increase the surface area of the hectorite microparticles, doughnut-like morphology with uniform particle size was realized using a hybrid method of spray drying and centrifugal disc atomization. Addition of tetrasodium pyrophosphate to the aqueous hectorite dispersion was critical for the change in shape; this can be explained with reference to changes in the repulsive interparticle interactions.