“…The outstanding features of diatomite include its high porosity and high permeability, low apparent density, relative chemical inertness, and a high melting point, about 1500°C. It has been calculated that 1 ln J of diatomite consists of the skeletons of 40-70 million diatoms (15)• Approximately 10,000 distinct species of diatoms have been reported with sizes varying from 0.1 to 0.005 mm. Diatomite weighs approximately 7 lbs/ft^ dry and loose, approximately 16 lbs/ft^ when packed by wetting and up to 20 lbs/ft^ in a filter cake (15).…”