A zeolite can be imagined like a house, where the structure (the doors, windows,
walls and roof) is really the zeolite while the furniture and people are the water, ammonia
and other molecules and ions that can pass in and out of the structure. The chain - like
structures can be thought of like towers of high wire pylons. The sheet – like structures can
be seen like large office buildings with the sheets analogous to the floors and very few
walls between the floors. And the framework structures like houses with equally solid walls
and floors. All these structures are still frameworks. These variations make the zeolite
group very diverse, crystal habit – wise. Otherwise zeolites are typically soft to moderately
hard, light in density, transparent to translucent and have similar origins. There are about 45
natural minerals that are recognized members of the Zeolite Group. In this chapter are
presented the main physicochemical properties of zeolites in correlation with their
structure. From this point of view there are three large families of zeolites: the natrolite
group, the heulandite group and the chabazite group. For each zeolite families the main
representing members are presented together with their properties.
Keywords: Natural mineral, zeolites structure, zeolites framework, zeolites
physicochemical properties, ion exchange, zeolites families, natrolite group,
heulandites group, chabazite group.
