Crystalline Mineral Aluminosilicates ( Zeolite )

Zeolite Zeolites, crystalline mineral aluminosilicates, and hydrates of alkaline and alkaline earth metals are three-dimensional with a lattice and are divided into two major groups, natural such as clinoptilolite, analysium, lamometite, phyllipsite, mordenite, and synthetic or synthetic, e.g. W, ZSM-5, Zeolon, F, Gamma. In general, three factors such as structure, texture, chemical composition, as well as the economic value of natural zeolites and modified forms, have made them potential sources in various fields, including the following: Use as a catalyst in oil and petrochemical industries, fire industry, agricultural industry as a fertilizer and increase soil moisture, cleaning municipal, industrial and nuclear wastewater from harmful pollutants such as heavy and toxic metals, absorption and desorption of gases and the like. Major producers of zeolite are China, Cuba, Japan, the United States and Hungary, which together account for more than 3 million tons of zeolite production worldwide. In Iran, zeolite deposits are scattered in areas such as Miyaneh, Taleghan, southeast of Semnan, Roodehen, Rhine Kerman and some other areas. Zeolites with excellent capacities in absorbing water and some nutrients needed by plants are well able to provide the required water and prevent wastage of nutrients and fertilizers. Zeolites are also used to absorb and remove environmental pollutants, including heavy and harmful metals from polluted water and municipal and industrial wastewater. Wastewater may contain cations of heavy elements such as zinc, cadmium, copper, iron, mercury, and harmful anions such as cyanides, which can cause a great deal of ecological and environmental damage, and zeolites play a key role in the purification of these cations and anions.