In paints and coatings, diatomaceous earth is an excellent matting agent, providing sand and scrub resistance, breathability and crack resistance.

In plastic films, Imerys DE grades are effective antiblock additives that prevent films from sticking together during production, processing and end use.

Imerys also utilizes the special properties of diatomaceous earth for construction, pharmaceutical, plastics, rubber, polishing and oil spill applications.

At Imerys, we continue to work hard to find diatomaceous earth-based innovations that can help solve critical problems facing modern society, such as disease prevention, blood filtration, sustainable energy, and natural ingredients for life science markets and agriculture.

What is Diatomaceous Earth?
Diatomaceous earth is a friable, light-colored sedimentary rock composed primarily of the siliceous skeletal remains of diatoms. It is a very porous rock with a fine grain size and low specific gravity. These properties make it useful as filter media, absorbents, and lightweight fillers for rubbers, paints, and plastics. When diatomaceous earth is crushed into a powder, it is often referred to as "diatomaceous earth" or D.E.
Diatomaceous earth used as a beer filter: Diatomaceous earth has a very small particle size, high porosity, and is relatively inert. This makes it an excellent material for use as a filter. Most beer brewed in the United States is filtered through crushed diatomaceous earth known as diatomaceous earth. When choosing diatomaceous earth for beer filtration, it is important to get the diatomaceous earth from sediments that form in freshwater environments - as salty marine diatomaceous earth can ruin beer! Diatomaceous earth is also used to filter wine, drinking water, syrups, honey, juices, swimming pool water, and more. Image copyright iStockphoto / nirtub.
Diatomaceous earth is a siliceous sedimentary rock composed primarily of the fossilized skeletal remains of diatoms, single-celled organisms related to algae. Diatomaceous earth has a porous structure, making it ideal for use as an insulation or filter material (its primary use)
Derived from the remains of microscopic fossilized seaweed, or freshwater algae, diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring, versatile mineral used in a range of applications from cosmetics to filtration.
Diatomaceous earth is a sedimentary rock consisting of the fossilized skeletal remains of single-celled aquatic algae known as "diatoms." This unique form of silica has a delicate honeycomb structure filled with thousands of tiny pores ranging in diameter from a few micrometers to submicrometers. No other source of silica, whether mined or produced, exhibits this structure. Some diatomite deposits are brackish, but most come from freshwater sources.