Mwala wa phiri lophulika (womwe umadziwika kuti pumice kapena basalt woboola) ndi chinthu chothandiza komanso choteteza chilengedwe, chomwe ndi mwala wamtengo wapatali wokhala ndi mabowo opangidwa ndi galasi la phiri lophulika, mchere, ndi thovu pambuyo pa kuphulika kwa phiri lophulika. Mwala wa phiri lophulika uli ndi mchere wambiri ndi zinthu zina monga sodium, magnesium, aluminiyamu, silicon, calcium, titaniyamu, manganese, chitsulo, nickel, cobalt, ndi molybdenum. Siwowala ndipo uli ndi mafunde amphamvu a infrared. Pambuyo pa kuphulika kwa phiri lophulika, patatha zaka masauzande ambiri, anthu akupeza kufunika kwake. Tsopano yakulitsa minda yake yogwiritsidwa ntchito m'minda monga zomangamanga, kusamalira madzi, kugaya, zipangizo zosefera, makala a barbecue, malo okongoletsa, kulima popanda dothi, ndi zinthu zokongoletsera, zomwe zimagwira ntchito yofunika kwambiri m'mafakitale osiyanasiyana.

Mwala wa phiri lophulika ndi mtundu watsopano wa zinthu zothandiza komanso zosawononga chilengedwe, womwe ndi mwala wamtengo wapatali kwambiri wokhala ndi mabowo opangidwa ndi galasi la phiri lophulika, mchere, ndi thovu pambuyo poti phiri lophulika laphulika. Mwala wa phiri lophulika uli ndi mchere wambiri ndi zinthu zina monga sodium, magnesium, aluminiyamu, silicon, calcium, titaniyamu, manganese, chitsulo, lithiamu, nickel, cobalt, ndi molybdenum.

Makhalidwe ake ndi opepuka, amphamvu kwambiri, kutentha kwambiri, kuyamwa kwa mawu, kukana moto, kukana asidi ndi alkali, kukana dzimbiri, kukana kuipitsidwa, kusakhala ndi mphamvu yowononga, kusakhala ndi mphamvu yowononga, ndi ma pores ang'onoang'ono ambiri pamwamba, monga ma pores pakhungu. Kuviika mu mafuta a injini kumatha kuyamwa pang'onopang'ono zinthu zofunika zamafuta, kenako nkuzitulutsa pang'onopang'ono pakhungu, zomwe zimawalola kulowa m'thupi la munthu. Kuphatikiza apo, zimaphatikizidwa ndi zinthu zofunika zopangidwa ndi mafuta ofunikira komanso njira zapadera zochotsera poizoni m'mipanda, miyala ya mapiri yakhala ikugwiritsidwa ntchito kwambiri mu zamankhwala ndi kukongola m'zaka zaposachedwa chifukwa imatha kuthetsa mavuto ambiri okhumudwitsa pakhungu.