A Study on the Applications of Natural Zeolites: Unveiling the Full Potential of Natural Zeolites

Abstract

Zeolites and zeolite rocks are commonly used in different industrial applications. Natural zeolites present an attractive material for environmental applications because of their high abundance, availability and low costs. Depending on geological settings and conditions during mineral formation, natural zeolite deposits usually represent a heterogeneous mixture of zeolite minerals together with varying amounts of gangue minerals (e. g. quartz, feldspars and phyllosilicates). Hence, profound mineralogical knowledge and a detailed characterization of natural zeolites are essential for tapping their full potential in any practical application. However, this is rarely done as detailed mineralogical characterizations are elaborate and often neglected in favour of bulk chemical analyses (e. g. XRF).