Afrikaans Not all Diatomaceous Earth is the Same
There’s a lot of conversation these days about diatomaceous earth. DE is a form of silica. It is a natural material composed of diatom skeletons. Diatoms are aquatic phytoplanktons which are one-celled plants that are responsible for much of the food and most of the oxygen that is consumed on earth. Diatoms represent the major process where silicates from the earth’s crust are recycled. Diatoms absorb silica acid and use it to make porous microscopic shells composed mostly of silica dioxide (SiO2). When these living creatures die, the shells sink to the bottom of oceans, rivers or lakes and accumulate. Over millions of years, the sediments become diatomaceous earth deposits. These large deposits are mined, ground into a powder form and sold as natural diatomaceous earth. The untreated amorphous form of natural freshwater DE is a safe, non-toxic natural insect control with several other uses.
SEM Photos Show the Significant Differences of DiaSource DE
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is found throughout the World and has very different qualities. The physical characteristics that make DiaSourceDE more effective can be seen in the scanning electron micrographs. These SEM's were taken at the University of Idaho's SEM Research Center. The samples were of DiaSource production line product as it comes from the baghouse, ready for shipment.
The Visible and Architectural Differences:
- The DiaSource deposit contains a greater variety of the Melosira species of freshwater diatoms, with a greater number of pores per diatom.
- This larger number of pores provides a much greater internal pore volume.
- Pore volume provides the greater surface area, creating extraordinary absorptive capacity.
- DiaSource surface area is 69.05 m2/g (square meters per gram)
- Average, as stated by the other D.E. products, is 10 to 30 m2/g
The DiaSource Grain Storage Insecticide, with no additives, has demonstrated a better ability to absorb the insect's waxy epicuticle and provides a more rapid extraction of the lipids from the insect's body, thus speeding the kill time due to quicker dehydration. "All fossil diatoms are porous, and it is this porosity or specific surface (square meters per gram) that confers them their insecticidal value (Ebeling 1971)".
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Naturally yours,
Howard Garrett
