What is Zeolite and Where is It Used?
Zeolite means 'Boiling Stone' as a word. Zeolites, one of the important raw materials of recent years, are chemically known as "hydrous alumino silicates".
What are the Properties of Zeolite?
Zeolite is an aqueous alumina silicate crystal of porous, alkali (Na and K) and alkaline earth (Ca) elements with a three-structure network. The smallest structural unit of any zeolite crystal is SiO4 or AlO4 tetrahedra. With the combination of the primary structure units formed by Si and Al tetrahedra, single and double ring secondary structure units and highly symmetrical parameters are formed. By arranging these polieder and secondary structure units in different shapes in three dimensions, a zeolite skeleton with micropores emerges.
The main physical and chemical properties of zeolites; Ion-changing adsorption and related molecular sieve structure, silica content, as well as light-colored and lightness in sedimentary zeolites. The structures of zeolites contain voids and have a honeycomb or lattice appearance. Cations and water, which are generally alkali and alkaline earth metals, can be found in cavities. The honeycomb or lattice structure of zeolites has channel or gap size between 2-12 Ao. Since cations are weakly bound to the zeolite, they can easily exchange ions. Therefore, zeolites are used as ion exchangers. The water molecules in the pores can also be heated to leave the zeolitic structure easily or be re-adsorbed.
Physical Properties of Some Zeolites:
What are the Zeolite Types?
Natural zeolites are a group name made up of more than 40 minerals. The most known of these are; It is analcime, chabasite, clinoptilolite, eryionite, ferrierite, heulandite, mordenite, stilbite and phylipsite, laumonite, natrolite, faujasite, synthetic zeolite, synthetic zeolite X.
Where is Zeolite Used?
Dünyada 1960’lı yıllardan sonra ticari olarak üretilip pazarlanmaya başlayan zeolitler, ülkemizde ilk defa 1971 yılında tespit edilmiştir. Dünya zeolit tüketiminin %18’i doğal zeolitler, %82’si sentetik zeolitler olup, başlıca tüketilen zeolitler Klinoptilolit ve Şabazittir. Klinoptilolitler esas olarak yapı, tarım-hayvancılık ve arıtıma sektörlerinde kullanılmaktadır.Organik tarımdan, deterjan endüstrisine, besicilikten, endüstriyel atıkların temizlenmesine kadar Used in 150 different areas. Natural zeolites, which have become an important industrial raw material in recent years, can be collected in 5 main sections: pollution control, energy, agriculture-animal husbandry, mining-metallurgy and other fields:
Pollution Control: Zeolite minerals are increasingly used in pollution control due to their ion exchange and adsorption properties. Zeolite tuffs have been used for many years to control the bad odor of fertilizers and to increase the pH of acid volcanic soils. Natural zeolites, especially clinoptilolite, are used effectively in cleaning the pollution caused by biological wastes in lakes and ponds. In addition, natural zeolites are also used in the transportation of live fish and the supply of oxygen-rich air flow needed in aquaculture environments.
- Cleaning of Radioactive Wastes: Isotopes such as Sr, Cs, Co, Ca, which are found in nuclear power plant wastes and are dangerous for environmental health, can be retained by zeolites. Thus, radioactive wastes taken from waste water are made harmless by burying them together with zeolite. Clinoptilolite and mordenite are used in this area due to their resistance to acids.
- Cleaning of Waste Water: Nitrogen compounds (especially ammonium), metal ions (Pb, Cd, Fe, Cu, etc.) found in the waste water of cities and industrial facilities pollute the underground and surface waters in the environments where they are discharged and destroy the characteristics of both clean water and utility water. . In addition, it has a toxic effect on fish and other aquatic fauna living in these waters and prevents the reproduction of algae necessary for this fauna to feed. For this reason, nitrogen and some unwanted heavy metal cations (eg Pb) in waste water are easily retained by zeolites. Many urban and industrial wastewaters in the USA and Japan are cleaned using clinoptilolite.
- Cleaning Flue Gases: CO2, SO2 and other pollutant gases coming out of the chimneys of plants using oil and coal can be separated by the adsorbing feature of zeolites. Studies have shown that mordenite and clinoptilolite give very good results in this area.
- Cleaning Oil Spills: Kirlilik kontrolü uygulamalarında yeni gelişen bu alanda aktifleştirilmiş zeolit, genleştirilmiş perlit, sodyum karbonat, tartarik asit ve %20 metilsiloksan içeren bir bağlayıcıyla peletlenmiş halde kullanmaktadır. Özgül ağırlığı 0.5 gr/cm3 ve yağ adsorplama kapasitesi 0,97 gr olan bu malzeme, 200 saat suda yüzebilmekte ve yüzeydeki petrolü adsorplamaktadır.
Oxygen Production: Water and air pollution, which is one of the problems of our century, causes the decrease in the oxygen required for life. While the lack of oxygen in rivers and lakes causes the destruction of fish and plants living in these environments, the lack of oxygen in a closed space threatens human health. In these cases, zeolites are selectively adsorbed to nitrogen.
- Oxygen-enriched air can be supplied to these averages by utilizing its properties. Although synthetic zeolites are mostly used in oxygen production, it is seen that natural zeolites especially mordenite and some clinoptilolites and chabasite can be used.
Garbage Storage Areas: The most important parts of regular garbage landfills are ground and ground stabilization. The lining material to be used on the floor is required to show a non-permeable structure that strengthens the floor. Generally, clays with low permeability are used for this. Problems can be experienced due to the fact that the clays swell and gel over time and they are affected by acid environments. Studies have shown that the combination of bentonite-type clays and clinoptilolite-type zeolites has a positive effect on the soil stability and that the ground can be formed with thinner lining material. At the same time, zeolite also acts as a filter by holding harmful ions in the water that may leak. The world's growing energy needs; In addition to coal and petroleum, it is tried to be met from different sources such as nuclear and solar energy, which are also being developed. It uses synthetic and natural zeolites during the conversion of these resources to energy.
Zeolite Usage in Agriculture: Due to their high ion exchange and water retention properties, natural zeolites are widely used in the preparation of the soil for agriculture, mostly in clay-poor soils. In addition, due to its high ammonium selectivity, by using clinoptilolite as a carrier in fertilizer preparation, ammonium is used more effectively by plants and fertilizer savings are achieved. Since clinoptilolite adsorbs excess moisture, it prevents the firing and hardening of fertilizers during storage. In addition, it has been determined that it prevents fungal diseases caused by excessive irrigation.
Due to the high ion exchange and absorption capacity of natural zeolites, it is used as agricultural pesticide carrier. The cation selection and exchange properties of natural zeolites can be utilized not only for the transfer of nutritive ions to the plant, but also for the retention of some undesirable heavy metal cations such as Pb-Cd-Zn-Cu in the feeding chains. It has also been found that by adding the clinoptilolite used in this area to the soils with radioactive contamination, the amount of S90 taken by the plant is greatly reduced.
Germination with Zeolite in Parks, Gardens, Golf and Football Fields: Zeolites are successfully used in the construction of new Parks, Gardens, Golf and Football fields and / or in the improvement of existing grass fields. While these areas are being created, maximum amount of zeolite is mixed to the depth where the roots of the grass will be found during the aeration of the soil. In existing fields, finer-grained zeolite is applied from the surface. As this applied zeolite accumulates in the roots of the grass, it begins to use the nutrients added to the soil more effectively.
By using zeolite; The removal of nitrogen and potassium in the soil by washing with water is reduced, and the accumulation of water in the soil in the root zone of the grass and the controlled release of nutrients are provided.
In the examinations made on grass fields prepared with and without using zeolite, it was found that the roots of the grass in the fields containing zeolite were developed at a depth of 7-14 cm, very strong and containing many feeding roots; On the other hand, it was determined that the roots of the grass in the zeolite-free fields developed at a depth of 1.5-5 cm, very weak and containing insufficient number of feeding roots. The use of zeolite is especially beneficial in germination of slopes. For; When zeolite is not used, the fertilizer used can be transported from the higher parts of the slope to the lower parts by washing with irrigation and rain water.
The Main Advantages of Using Zeolite in Grass Fields: It increases the cation exchange ability of the soil. It reduces the amount of pesticide usage. It has a low sodium content, it is not toxic to humans and other living things. It increases the water and air permeability of the soil and improves its physical properties.
ZEOLITE POULTRY POULTRY LOWER:
It is a product in poultry farms that prevents the bottom of the animals from staying dry and preventing odor. One of the causes of animal diseases is caused by the excessive ammonia odor in the environments where animals live. Zeolite poultry litter solves this problem completely. By providing comfortable and spacious environments, it enables the animals to live in healthy environments and to increase their productivity.
Poultry (birds, parrots, etc. all poultry animals) that are fed in cages as pets in the houses, the liquids and gases such as ammonia gas emanating from their feces in the cage emit unpleasant odors for both the animal and the environment. In the use of zeolite poultry litter, both the removal of odors and the drying of feces are provided. Thus, odor formation in the environment is prevented and the cage remains constantly dry.
- Hayvanların dışkı ve idrarlarından kaynaklanan Amonyak gaz oluşumunu %90 lara varan ölçüde azaltır.
- By preventing the formation of moisture and odor in poultry and farms, it ensures that the animals' bottom is constantly dry and remains spacious.
- It prevents bacterial growth due to moisture.
- It reduces flies, kills pathogens.
- Antibiotic reduces drug use.
- Reduces the risk of animals getting sick
- Increases quality and efficiency.
- %100 doğal ve güvenlidir. Hayvanların yemesinde eşelemesinde hiçbir zararı olmadığı gibi faydası vardır ve toksik değildir
- It is completely harmless to humans, animals and the environment, and is very useful in the soil.
Paper Industry: Yüksek parlaklığı olan zeolit cevherleri, kâğıt endüstrisinde dolgu maddesi olarak gittikçe daha fazla kullanılmaktadır. Klinoptilolit katkılı kâğıt, normal kil katkılı kağıtlara göre daha tok olup, kolay kesilebilmekte ve mürekkebi daha az dağıtmaktadır. Klinoptilolit -10 mikrona kadar öğütüldüğünde aşındırma endeksi %3’den az, parlaklığı 80 civarında bir malzeme özelliği kazanır. %28 zeolit tozu katılmış bir karışımdan klasik kâğıda göre çok daha hafif kâğıt üretimi mümkündür.
Construction Sector: Puzzolan Cement and Concrete: Zeolitic tuff deposits are used as pozzolanic raw materials in many countries. Zeolite pozzolanes find important applications in hydraulic cements where the final concrete product will always be exposed to groundwater corrosion. The use of zeolites in the production of pozzolan cement to be used in aqueous infrastructure can neutralize the lime released during the solidification process of the concrete due to their high silica content.
Light Aggregate: Natural zeolites, such as perlite and other volcanic glasses, are also suitable for expansion. Expanded zeolites have higher resistance to compression and abrasion, and expanded lightweight aggregate is produced.
Dimensional Stone: Zeolitic tuffs are low-weight, highly porous, homogeneous, tight-solid structured. They can be easily cut and processed and used as building blocks with their lightness. In recent years, it has been understood that devitrified volcanic ash and modified tuffs, which have been used for this purpose in many countries for many years, contain zeolite.
Health sector: Although natural zeolites are used in various ways in this field, the most important of these is the use of clinoptilolite as a brightening additive in fluoride toothpastes. Clinoptilolites are used as drugs in the treatment of ulcers and diarrhea in Cuba. It has patents on this subject. It is also used as a powder to prevent infection of the wound in the treatment of cut type injured animals.
Hardness Removal with Zeolites: In the study conducted by Sabah et al. In 1999, the softening processes of the water by using natural zeolite were investigated. In the study, the potential of removing water hardness with the Zeolitic tuffs (Clinoptilolite) of the Balıkesir / Bigadiç upper tuff unit, which is very rich in reserves in our country, was investigated. transaction has been done. For this purpose, Zeolite samples in the fraction range varying from -0.85 to + 0.60mm were regenerated with NaOH, and the time-dependent hardness change of the water passing through the Zeolitic bed in the ion exchange column at a constant flow rate was examined. After optimizing the regeneration conditions in this way, the effect of the flow rate of the wastewater fed into the zeolitic bed and the water residue left in the column on the removal of the hardness of the water was also investigated.
As a result: The hardness of the water passing through the zeolite bed was reduced to the lowest value by keeping the feed water rate at 10 ml / min and using zeolite regenerated with 0.75 MNaOH and it was determined that the highest operating capacity would be reached in case of working under these conditions.
RENAT GLOBAL As a leading company in the supply and export of Zeolite / Clinoptilolite mine, which is our valuable underground resource extracted in Balıkesir / Bigadiç region, under suitable conditions, we are proud to offer our valued customers the highest quality and most reliable products.
Contact
RENAT GLOBAL İNŞ. İHR. İTH. SINGING. and ITC. LTD. ŞTİ.
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