Ukusetshenziswa kwempuphu ye-diatomite ekwenzeni iphepha kudinga ukucutshungulwa okukhethekile okwenzelwe izidingo zemboni. I-ore ye-diatomite eluhlaza igezwa ngokucophelela ukuze kususwe ukungcola kobumba nesihlabathi. Ngemuva kwalokho, yomiswa kancane emazingeni okushisa asukela ku-100-120°C ukuze kulondolozwe isakhiwo sayo esibalulekile esinezimbobo. Izinqubo zokugaya bese zisetshenziswa ukukhiqiza impuphu enobukhulu bezinhlayiya obuhluka phakathi kuka-5-30 μm. Izinhlayiya ezincane, ngokuvamile ezibangeni lika-5-15 μm, zisetshenziswa njengemibala yokumboza esebenza kahle yephepha lokuphrinta elicwebezelayo, kanti izinhlayiya eziqinile (20-30 μm) zisebenza njengezigcwalisi ezisebenzayo ekubhaleni nasekufakeni iphepha. Amazinga athile empuphu ye-diatomite aphathwa phezulu ngama-polymer e-cationic ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukuhambisana nemicu ye-cellulose, ukuqinisekisa ukusabalala okufanayo ngaphakathi kwe-matrix ye-pulp.

Njengokugcwalisa iphepha, i-diatomite powder idlula ezinye izindlela zendabuko ezifana ne-calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) noma i-kaolin ezicini eziningi. Imvelo yayo yokuba nezimbobo ivumela amakhono aphezulu okusabalala kokukhanya, okuthuthukisa kakhulu ukungabonakali kwephepha ngaphandle kokwanda okuhambisanayo kwesisindo sesisekelo. Ekukhiqizweni kwephepha lokuphrinta, ukufaka esikhundleni se-10-15% ye-pulp yokhuni nge-diatomite powder kungaveza ukwanda kwe-10-15% kwe-TAPPI okungekho. Lokhu kuvumela abenzi bephepha ukuthi banciphise ukusetshenziswa kwe-pulp, ngaleyo ndlela banegalelo ekunciphiseni ukugawulwa kwamahlathi kanye nokonga izindleko. Isibonelo, umshini wephepha waseFinland ufake i-8% ye-diatomite powder ekwakhiweni kwawo kwephepha lokuphrinta okungaxhunyiwe, okwaholela ekwandeni kokungabonakali kusuka ku-88% kuya ku-96%, ukwehla kwe-12% ekusetshenzisweni kwe-pulp, kanye nokwehla kwezindleko zezinto zokusetshenziswa ngo-18%. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukumhlophe okuphezulu kwe-diatomite powder (inani le-L* ≥92) kuqinisekisa ukuthi iphepha ligcina ukubukeka okukhanyayo, okuhlanzekile, okubalulekile ekukhiqizweni kombhalo nesithombe sekhwalithi ephezulu.

Impuphu ye-Diatomite ibhekana nomkhawulo ovamile wezigcwalisi zendabuko ngokuthuthukisa amandla ephepha. Isakhiwo sayo esinezimbobo senza kube lula ukubopha okuphumelelayo phakathi kwemicu ye-cellulose, okusebenza “njengamabhuloho” uma kuhlanganiswa ne-pulp. Uma kuqhathaniswa nephepha eligcwele i-CaCO₃, impuphu ye-diatomite ingandisa amandla okudonseka ngo-8-12% kanye namandla okudabula ngo-10-15%. Lesi sici sibaluleke kakhulu ephepheni lokupakisha, okumele libhekane nokuphathwa nokuthutha okunzima. Umkhiqizi wephepha lokupakisha waseShayina, isibonelo, uthole ukuthuthuka okuphawulekayo emandleni okuqhuma kusuka ku-2.5 kPa·m²/g kuya ku-3.2 kPa·m²/g ngokufaka impuphu ye-diatomite engu-12% ekwakhiweni kwayo kwephepha elihlanganisiwe, okwenza iphepha likwazi ukusekela imithwalo esindayo ngaphandle kokwehluleka.

Ukunyatheliswa kungenye indawo lapho i-diatomite powder iphumelela khona. Njenge-pigment yokumboza, idala ubuso obubushelelezi nobuhambisanayo obuthuthukisa ukunamathela kwe-inki kanye nokuzala kwamachashazi. Ephepheni elingenawo ukhuni olumboziwe, elivame ukusetshenziswa komagazini namakhathalogi, ukumboza okusekelwe ku-diatomite powder kubonisa ubulukhuni bomphezulu (Ra) obungu-0.5-0.8 μm, uma kuqhathaniswa no-1.0-1.2 μm wokumboza okusekelwe ku-kaolin. Lo mphezulu obushelelezi uphumela kumachashazi okunyathelisa abukhali, ukuncipha kokuphuma kwegazi ku-inki, kanye nokugqama kombala okuthuthukisiwe. Ukuhlolwa kwemboni yokunyathelisa kubonisa ukuthi iphepha elimbozwe nge-diatomite powder lithola inzuzo yamachashazi engu-90-95%, uma kuqhathaniswa no-80-85% wephepha elimbozwe lendabuko. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isakhiwo esinezimbobo se-diatomite powder simunca kahle i-inki eningi, sinciphise isikhathi sokoma ngo-20-25% futhi ngaleyo ndlela sithuthukise ukusebenza kahle kwemishini yokunyathelisa futhi sinciphise izithiyo zokukhiqiza.

Izinzuzo zemvelo zempuphu ye-diatomite ekwenzeni iphepha zinkulu kakhulu. Ngokunciphisa izidingo ze-pulp, kunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwamandla kanye nokukhishwa kwamagesi okushisa okuhambisana nokukhiqizwa kwe-pulp, okubandakanya ukugawulwa kwemithi okunamandla, ukuthuthwa, kanye nokucutshungulwa kwamakhemikhali. Imishini yokugaya iphepha equkethe i-10% yempuphu ye-diatomite ibika ukwehla okungu-10-12% kokukhishwa kwe-CO₂. Ngokungafani nezigcwalisi zokwenziwa ezingase zikhiphe ama-microplastics emvelweni, impuphu ye-diatomite iyabola futhi ayinabo ubuthi. Ukwelashwa kwamanzi amdaka kwenziwa lula nasezigayweni kusetshenziswa i-diatomite powder, njengoba impuphu ingasuswa ngokuthungwa futhi isetshenziswe kabusha emikhiqizweni yephepha esezingeni eliphansi, kunciphisa ukukhiqizwa kwemfucuza.

Ezisetshenzisweni zephepha ezikhethekile, i-diatomite powder inikeza izakhiwo zokusebenza ezihlukile. Ephepheni lokupakisha elingangeni mafutha, elivame ukusetshenziswa ekudleni okusheshayo kanye nokudla okulula, isakhiwo salo esinezimbobo sidala isithiyo esisebenzayo ngokumelene namafutha, sinikeza enye indlela eqhubekayo yokugqoka okwenziwe njenge-polyethylene (PE). Uchungechunge lokudla okusheshayo lwaseJapan lubike ukuthuthuka okungu-40% ekumelaneni namafutha ngemuva kokushintshela ephepheni elingangeni mafutha eliguquliwe yi-diatomite powder, ngenkathi kugcinwa ukumuncwa kwephepha. Ephepheni elishisayo, elisetshenziselwa amarisidi namalebula, i-diatomite powder isebenza njengomqhubi wokushisa, ithuthukisa ukuzwela kokuphrinta futhi inciphise ukusetshenziswa kwamandla, ngaleyo ndlela yandisa isikhathi sokuphila samakhanda okuphrinta okushisa.

Lapho kwenziwa iphepha nge-diatomite powder, kunezinto eziningana okumele zicatshangelwe, okuhlanganisa ukuhambisana kwe-pH, ukuhlakazeka, kanye namazinga okulayisha. I-Diatomite powder ikhombisa ukuzinza ngaphakathi kobubanzi be-pH obungathathi hlangothi kuya kwe-alkaline kancane (6.5-8.0) obujwayelekile ezinqubweni zokwenza iphepha zanamuhla, okuvimbela ukuwohloka kwefayibha ebangelwa yi-asidi. Ukuhlakazeka okufanele, okutholakala ngokusebenzisa ama-hydropulpers noma ama-disperser, kubalulekile ukuvimbela ukuhlangana kwezinhlayiya, okungaholela ezifweni zephepha ezifana namabala noma izimbobo. Amazinga okulayisha ayahlukahluka kuye ngokusetshenziswa: 5-10% wokuphrinta nokubhala iphepha, 10-15% wephepha lokupakisha, kanye no-15-20% wephepha elikhethekile. Ukudlula u-20% kungafaka ukuguquguquka kwephepha engcupheni, kudingeke ukulungiswa kwenhlanganisela yefayibha.

Ekuphetheni, i-diatomite powder ishintshe kakhulu imboni yokwenza amaphepha, inikeza intuthuko ebalulekile ekungabonakali, amandla, ukuphrinta, kanye nokusimama. Amandla ayo okunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwe-pulp, ukunciphisa izindleko, kanye nokuthuthukisa ukusebenza kwephepha kuyibeka njengento ekhethwayo yezimboni ezikhiqiza imikhiqizo eminingi yephepha. Njengoba imboni iqhubeka nokubeka phambili ukuphathwa kwemvelo kanye nokugqama komkhiqizo, isidingo somhlaba wonke se-diatomite powder yezinga lokwenza amaphepha sikulungele ukukhula okukhulu. Lo mkhuba ugcizelela indima ebalulekile yale nto ekwakheni ikusasa lokwenza amaphepha okusimeme, ukushayela ukusungula izinto ezintsha, kanye nokuhlangabezana nezidingo ezishintshayo zabathengi kanye nezimboni ngokufanayo. Ukuhlanganiswa kwe-diatomite powder ezinqubweni zokwenza amaphepha kumelela isinyathelo esibalulekile ekuphishekeleni ukukhiqizwa kwamaphepha okuphumelelayo, okunobungani nemvelo, kanye nokusebenza kahle kakhulu.