Hmoov av diatomaceous yog ib yam khoom zoo kawg nkaus uas tau los ntawm cov pob zeb fossilized ntawm diatoms, uas yog cov algae ib lub cell. Cov diatoms no tau vam meej hauv cov dej xws li dej hiav txwv, pas dej, thiab cov dej ntws lab xyoo dhau los. Thaum lawv tuag, lawv cov phab ntsa cell nplua nuj silica tau sib sau ua ke rau hauv qab, maj mam tsim cov sedimentary deposits uas yog qhov chaw ntawm diatomaceous av.

Ib qho ntawm cov yam ntxwv tshwj xeeb tshaj plaws ntawm diatomaceous earth hmoov yog nws qhov xwm txheej porous heev. Microscopically, nws qhia txog lub network nyuaj ntawm cov me me, sib txuas ua ke. Cov pores no sib txawv hauv qhov loj me, feem ntau yog los ntawm ob peb nanometers mus rau ntau micrometers. Qhov porosity no muab cov hmoov ib qho chaw loj heev rau ib chav tsev, uas yog qhov tseem ceeb rau nws ntau daim ntawv thov. Piv txwv li, hauv cov txheej txheem lim dej, cov pores tuaj yeem ntes cov khoom me me ntawm ntau qhov ntau thiab tsawg, ua haujlwm ua lub sieve ntuj.

Hmoov av diatomaceous pom muaj kev siv hauv kev lag luam tshuaj pleev ib ce thiab kev saib xyuas tus kheej. Nws yog siv rau hauv kev txhuam ntsej muag thiab cov khoom exfoliating vim nws cov khoom siv txhuam mos mos. Nws tuaj yeem pab tshem tawm cov hlwb tuag, ua rau daim tawv nqaij du thiab rov ua kom zoo nkauj. Hauv qee cov tshuaj txhuam hniav, nws suav nrog ua cov txhuam mos mos los pab ntxuav cov hniav thiab tshem tawm cov quav hniav yam tsis ua rau cov hniav puas tsuaj ntau dhau.

Hauv kev lag luam, hmoov av diatomaceous yog siv los ua cov khoom ntim rau hauv cov khoom xws li yas, roj hmab, thiab xim. Hauv cov yas, nws tuaj yeem txhim kho cov khoom siv kho tshuab ntawm cov yas matrix, xws li ua kom nws lub zog thiab kev tawv. Hauv roj hmab, nws tuaj yeem txhim kho qhov ruaj khov thiab hnav - tsis kam ntawm cov khoom roj hmab. Hauv cov xim, nws ua haujlwm ua tus neeg sawv cev matting, txo qhov ci ntawm cov xim pleev xim thiab muab qhov tiav matte ntau dua. Nws kuj tseem siv rau hauv kev tsim cov dynamite ua cov khoom ruaj khov, pab tswj cov tshuaj tiv thaiv tawg.