Ko te Diatomite he momo toka hiraka, e horapa whānuitia ana ki Haina, te Hononga o Amerika, Hapani, Tenemāka, Wīwī, Romania me ētahi atu whenua. He toka parataiao hiraka koiora tēnei, ko te nuinga he toenga o ngā diatom tawhito. Ko tōna hanganga matū ko te SiO2, ka taea te whakaatu hei SiO2 · nH2O, ā, ko tōna hanganga kohuke ko te opara me ōna momo. Ko ngā rahui diatomite i Haina he 320 miriona tana, ā, ko ngā rahui e tumanakohia ana he neke atu i te 2 piriona tana.

Ko te mātotoru o te diatomite he 1.9-2.3g/cm3, ko te mātotoru papatipu he 0.34-0.65g/cm3, ko te horahanga mata motuhake he 40-65 ㎡/g, ā, ko te rōrahi o ngā pūwero he 0.45-0.98m³/g. Ko te mimiti wai he 2-4 ngā wā o tōna ake rōrahi, ā, ko te ira rewa he 1650C-1750 ℃. Ka taea te tirotiro i te hanganga pūwero motuhake i raro i te karu hiko.

He mea tito te Diatomite i te SiO2 kore-āhua, ā, he iti noa iho te Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, Al2O3 me ngā poke rauropi kei roto. He kōwhai mārama, he hina mārama rānei te Diatomite, he ngawari, he pūwero, he māmā hoki. He maha ngā wā e whakamahia ana i roto i te ahumahi hei rauemi whakamahana, hei rauemi tātari, hei whakakī, hei rauemi whakakoi, hei rauemi mata karāhe wai, hei kaihoko tango tae, hei āwhina tātari diatomite, hei kawe whakakorikori, me ētahi atu. Ko te wāhanga matua o te diatomite tūturu ko te SiO2. He mā te diatomite kounga teitei, ā, he maha ngā wā ka neke atu i te 70% te nui o te SiO2. He kore tae, he mārama hoki ngā diatom monomer. Ko te tae o te diatomite e whakawhirinaki ana ki ngā kohuke uku me ngā mea rauropi, me ētahi atu. He rerekē te hanganga o te diatomite mai i ngā pūtake kohuke rerekē.

Ko te Diatomite he momo putunga oneone kohi-pūmua diatom i hangaia i muri i te matenga o tētahi tipu pūtau-kotahi e kiia nei ko te diatom i muri i te wā kohikohinga o te 10000 ki te 20000 tau. Ko te Diatom tētahi o ngā protozoa tuatahi o te ao, e noho ana i te wai moana, i te wai roto rānei.

Ka hangaia tēnei diatomite mā te whakatakotoranga o ngā toenga o ngā diatom tipu wai kotahi-pūtau. Ko te mahi ahurei o tēnei diatom ko tōna kaha ki te mimiti i te silicon kore utu ki roto i te wai hei hanga i tōna angaanga. Ina mutu tōna oranga, ka whakatakotoranga, ka hanga i ngā putunga diatomite i raro i ētahi āhuatanga whenua. He āhuatanga ahurei ōna, pērā i te porosity, te iti o te kukū, te whānui o te mata motuhake, te kore e taea te pēhi me te pumau matū. Whai muri i te whakarerekētanga o te tohatoha rahi matūriki me ngā āhuatanga mata o te oneone mata mā te huri, te whakarōpū, te whakapūtātanga, te whakarōpūtanga rere hau, te tango paru me ētahi atu tikanga tukatuka, ka taea te whakamahi ki ngā whakaritenga ahumahi maha pērā i ngā tāpiringa peita.