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B Bogdanov 2
B Bogdanov 2
B Bogdanov 2
INTRODUCTION
The term zeolite was originally introduced in 1756 by Swedish mineralogist Baron Alex
Frederick Cronstedt, who had the honour to discover the so called stilbite. He observed that upon
rapidly heating a large amount of steam was obtained [1]. Thus, this material was named zeolite
from the classical Greek, where (zeo) means to boil and (lithos) means stone. After
their discovery zeolites are considered as separate group of minerals found in volcanic rocks for a
period of hundred years. Natural zeolites are formed as a result of chemical reactions of the
volcanic ash and alkaline water a few thousand millennia ago. They have been used in various parts
of the world for centuries.
STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES
Zeolites are crystalline, micro-porous, hydrated alum-silicate minerals that contain alkali and
alkaline earth metals. Their frameworks are composed of [SiO4]4- and [AlO4]5- tetrahedra, which
corner share to form different open structures. The tetrahedra are linked together to form cages
connected by pore openings of definite sizes. The pore size range from 0.3-1 nm [2]. The negative
charge on the lattice is neutralized by the positive charge of the cations located within the materials
pores. Each AlO4 tetrahedron in the framework bears a net negative charge which is balanced by
additional nonframework cations like sodium [Na+], potassium [K+], or [Ca2+]. These univalent
and/or bivalent metal cations may be replaced via ion-exchange to other ions. Because of
electrostatic forces it is not possible to make an Al-O-Al bond. They are made up of T- atoms
which are tetrahedrally bonded to each other with oxygen bridges. Other T- atoms such as P, Ga,
Ge, B and Be can also exist in the framework. A general formula for a zeolite can be written as:
M2/n:Al2O3:xSiO2:yH2O, where M is the charge balance cation, n the charge of the cation, x is
generally 2, and y is the water in the voids of the zeolites [3].
More than 50 natural zeolites are discovered, six of them in large deposits: analcime,
chabazite, clinoptilolite, heulandite, natrolite, phillipsite, and stilbite [4, 5]. Clinoptilolite has variety
of applications because of abundance and its chemical properties. Extensive deposits clinoptilolite
are found in the Western United States, Russia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Japan.
In Bulgaria, the largest zeolite rock deposits were found nearby the town of Kurdjali:
Zhelezni vrata, Beli plast, Beli bair, Golo burdo, Most, Lyaskovets and Perelik. The
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Natural & Mathematical science.
APPLICATIONS
In the 1950s, Ames [11,12], demonstrated the use of clinoptilolite as an ammonium
scavenging agent for remediation of ammonium pollution and determined the ion selectivity for
clinoptilolite. Nowadays clinoptilolite has found widespread environmental applications which
attract the attention of many researchers mainly due to its value to one or more of three properties:
adsorption, catalysis and ion-exchange. Major uses of this material include water softening and
purification (this kind of prophylactics is mandatory in many European capitals) [13-24],
petrochemical cracking and gas and solvent separation and removal [25-28], radioprotection [2931], soil disinfection (after the Chernobyl disaster, the soil around the power plant were treated and
neutralized using clinoptilolite), soil improvement [32-34], food supplements and additives [25],
biomedical application [35-46], etc.
Water and wastewater treatment. Most technologies using zeolites for water purification
are based on their unique cation-exchange behavior, through which dissolved cations can be
removed from water by exchanging with cations on the exchangeable sites of those industrial
materials[13-17].
The process of phosphorus removal in a system with bioaugmented activated sludge and
natural zeolite addition is studied [19]. It is consisted of: metabolic activity of activated sludge,
phosphorus uptake by phosphate-accumulating bacteria adsorbed on the natural zeolite particles and
suspended in solution, and phosphorus adsorption on the natural zeolite particles. Method for
removal of arsenate and arsenite from drinking water is reported [20]. The capability of Iranian
Volume IV
Natural & Mathematical science.
Volume IV
Natural & Mathematical science.
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Volume IV
Natural & Mathematical science.
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