Description

Building Materials

Although Peter Kasten is typically credited with discovering DE in the 1830s in northern Germany, ancient Egyptians were aware of DE’s benefits as early as 2630 BCE. When analyzing the contents of blocks used to build the famous pyramids, researchers found that some were made with limestone reconstituted with fine silica particles, or DE.

This addition helped to improve the resulting cement’s compressive strength. Recent research also shows that DE can help make self-repairing concrete. The science behind biomineralization is complex, but in a nutshell, DE protects naturally occurring bacteria from concrete’s high pH environment, which in turn allows the bacteria to produce enough calcium carbonate to fill cracks as they occur.