The term “Zeolite” refers to a group of naturally occurring minerals, whereas our product consists of a specific variety called “Clinoptilolite”. This product is a crystalline hydrated alumino- silicate containing approximately 85% - 95% Clinoptilolite, and the rest comprises volcanic glass, clay minerals, quartz and feldspar. It does not contain organic mineral materials. It is sold under the registered name of Anzymite® and in our web page Anzymite, Zeolite and Clinoptilolite are used interchangeably.

Chemical Composition

Zeolites are tekto silicates, that is, they consist of three-dimentional frameworks of SiO4-4 tetrahedra wherein all four corner oxygen ions of each tetradedra are shared with adjacent tetrahedra. This arrangement of silicate tetrahedra reduces the overall Si:O ratio to 2:1 and if each tetrahedron in the framework contains silicon as the central cation, the structure is electrically neutral, as in quartz (SiO2). In Zeolite structures, however, some of the quadrivalent silicon is replaced by trivalent aluminium, giving rise to a deficiency of positive charge. The charge is balanced by the presence of mono and divalent cations, such as Na+,Ca++, K++, etc. elsewhere in the structure.

All commercial applications of natural zeolites make use of one or more of several physical or chemical properties including
- Ion exchange capacity
- Absorption and related molecular sieve properties
- Dehydrotion and Rehydration
- Siliceous composition
- Selectivity in Cation exchange: Cs>Rb>NH4>Ba>Sr>Na>Ca>Fe>Al.Mg>Li

Generally talking, crystalline zeolites are unique adsorbent materials under normal conditions, the large central cavities and entry channels of zeolites are filled with water molecules forming hydration spheres around the exchangeable cations. If the water is removed, usually by heating to 350°c or 400°c for a few hours or overnight, molecules having effective cross-sectional diameters small enough to pass through the entry channels which are readily adsorbed in dehydrated channels are excluded, giving rise to the well-known “ molecular sieving ” , the property of most zeolites.