ZEOLITE :

Zeolite is the light greenish color rock that are microporous, aluminosilicate minerals that are generally used as commercial adsorbents and catalysts. It is the hydrated aluminosilicates of the alkaline and alkaline earth metals. There are more than 40 forms of zeolite for which are used for commercial applications. Some of the common zeolites are analcime, chabazite, clinotiloite, erionite, ferrierite, heulandite, laumonite, modernite and phillipsite. One of the common forms of zeolite that is used in many applications is clinoptilolite zeolite. More than 25o zeolites have been artificially synthesised for commercial purposes.

Sources of Zeolite :

Zeolites occur both naturally and are produced manually for the industrial purposes. Zeolites are the main mineral component that is present in the volcanic rocks formed by alteration of volcanic rocks in various geological and environmental conditions like temperature. Over many decades, the layers of the volcanic rock which are exposed to high temperature and pressure results in a diverse group of zeolites. It forms zeolite when the volcanic rocks react with the alkaline groundwater.

The Clay ? quartz ? mordenite?heulandite ? zeolite ? stilbite ? thomsonite?mesolite-scolecite ? chabazite ? calcite

Applications :

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/zeolite-market-101921(pie chart)

Zeolite mining :

The conventional open pit mining is used to mine the natural zeolites. The zeolites which are deposited on the volcanic rocks are removed by removing the topsoil or the overburden material. The overburden can be removed easily when the ore is obtained easily. If there is a difficulty in removing the ore or the overburden covering the zeolite ore is hard, then it is blasted by the use of the explosives. Modern machinery like tractors equipped with ripper blades and the front end loaders are equipped for removing the ore.The removed ore is then sent for further processing.

ZEOCEM :

ZEOCEM, VSK PRO-ZEOLIT and SLOVZEOLIT are the three zeolite companies which control all other small mining quarries in Slovakia. ZEOCEM is one of the leading mining companies that constitutes about 85% of the total production in the country. The common mining method that is used in these areas is open pit mining. The rich and pure zeolite availability gained more popularity than any other zeolites.

Canada :

C2C Mining and Zeo-Tech Enviro Corp acquired more than 10 mineral deposits. In this site, the deposits in the area are enriched with different forms of zeolite including chabazite, thomsonite and stibilite in varying amounts. Almost all the quarry uses conventional open pit mining to remove the ore. The removed ore is particularly used as a lightweight concrete.

Turkey :

Rota mine is one of the leading natural zeolite producers and exporters. It was founded in 1995 in Turkey, the company has obtained high quality reserves in Gordes.

Zeolite mining in USA :

According to the survey conducted by the geological survey in the year 2017, eight companies in the USA operated 11 zeolite mines that are clinoptilote zeolite. It produces an average amount of 79,000 tons per year and is estimated to increase in the later year. It is primarily mined in California, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon and Texas, in which the top 3 zeolite companies produce about 85% of the total production in the US.

Artificial synthesis :

Many synthetic zeolites are produced around the world for custom applications.As the demand of the zeolite increases, artificial synthesis is used to produce the zeolites. It is synthesized by the process of slow crystallization or by the process of solidification. In this process the atoms or molecules are formed into structure in the repetitive pattern to form the crystal.

Zeolite production:

The annual production of zeolite is found to be approximately about 3 million tons. Some of the countries to constitute are China, South Korea, Japan, Jordan, Turkey, Slovakia and the USA.

Since the world reserves of the zeolite is not estimated, many countries do not report or delay to report the production of natural zeolites.

Processing :

In processing, the naturally occurring zeolites are purified and extracted to eliminate the impurities and other minerals from the ore. The mechanical dispersion and differential suspension to remove the majority of the clay content of the ore. Then the contaminants with higher mass are removed by demineralized water instead of chemical flocculating agents. The removed ores are sent to the crusher where it is crushed to different sizes, it is then sent for the process of drying and milling. The milled ores are then classified according to the particle size and then are shipped for various purposes.

Consumption of Zeolite all over the world

Uses :

The main causes of zeolite elaboration are:

1. Doping: Doping is the process of introducing an impurity into the zeolite structure in order to increase or modify certain desired properties. This can be done by introducing elements such as metals or organic molecules.

2. Aging: Aging is the process of allowing the zeolite to undergo chemical and/or physical changes over time. This can result in changes to the structure, porosity, and surface area of the zeolite.

3. Post-Synthesis Treatments: Post-synthesis treatments are processes that are used to further modify the properties of the zeolite. This includes treatments such as ion exchange, steam activation, and thermal treatment.

4. Synthesis Conditions: The synthesis conditions used to create the zeolite have a large impact on its properties. This includes the type of reactants used, the pH and temperature of the reaction, and the duration of the synthesis.