John Chemistry Project

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Abstract :
In re ce n t ye ars th e re h as be e n a n
in cre asin g in tere st in th e po ssib ility of th e u se o f n atu ral alu m in
o silicate s in ag ricu ltu re an d e n viro nm e n ta l p ro te ctio n . Z e o
lite s are a larg e g ro u p o f (c lu ste r silicate s) alu m in o silicate m in e
ra ls w ith d iffe re n t ch e m ica l co m p o sitio n . D u e to th eir u n iqu
e p hysic al an d ch e m ical p ro pe rtie s (h igh so rp tion cap acity an d io
n -e xc ha n ge , ion -e xch an g e se le ctivity an d stru ctu ral th e rm al
sta bility), th ey can b e u se d for e xam ple in th e prod u ction o f m in e
ral fe rtilize rs. Z e olite s c an also b e u se d as a m e d iu m o f
th e active su b sta n ce s i.e . p e stic ide s, h erbicid e s, fu n g icide s o r
pe sticid es. Th e ir add ition in crea se s p lan t p rod u ction le ve ls an d
b iolo g ical a ctivity of the so il. A lso ze o lite ’ s e xce lle n t so rp tio n p
ro pe rtie s c an b e u se d for th e re m e d iation of soils co ntam in ated
w ith h e avy m e ta ls. Th e h isto ry, stru ctu re , pro p ertie s an d ap plic
ation o f na tu ral ze o lite s is p re se n te d in th is p ub licatio n , b ase d
o n th e re le van t lite ratu re .
INTRODUCTION :
Th e first ze o litc m in e ra l, stilb ite , w a s d iscove re d in
175 6 by S w e dish c he m ist an d m in e ralog ist A xe l Fred icka C ron
ste d t. H e n o te d th at d urin g h e atin g , th is n atu ral m in e ral in ten
sive ly lo ses w ate r an d na m e d it u sin g th e G re e k w o rds: d ze o b
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oil an d litho s sto n e , rock. (P olat e t al., 2005 ). C u rren tly, th e re are
ove r 40 kn ow n typ e s o f n atu ral ze olite s, b ut on ly se ven of th em (c
lin op tilolite , ch ab azite , m orde n ite, e rio n ite ,fe rrie rite , an alcim e,
p hilipsite ) are b ein g e xp lo ite d . A m on g n atu ral ze olite s m o st co
m m o n an d m ost stu d ied m in eral is clin o ptilo lite ; n o t on ly be ca
use of its h igh occ ure nc e in n atu re a nd th e lo w e st p rice , bu t a lso
be cau se of its u n iqu e p h ysico ch e m ical prop e rtie s (H u b icki e t al.,
2000). R ich d e p osits o f th e clino p tilolite ,th e so -calle d clin op
tilo lite tuffs are p re se nt, am o n g th e o th e rs, in th e C a rpa th ian
M o un tain s. It is estim ated th at th e re are de p osits o f th e na tu
ral ze o lite of o ve r a billio n to nn e s in the villag e S o kirnica (V asylij
e t al.,19 98 ). C lin op tilolite e tu ffs co n ta in fro m 70 to 9 0 % of clin
o ptilo lite an d h ave a cle ar color w ith a tin ge o f w h ite , g ray, gre e
n o r pin k d e pe n d ing o n th e p re se nc e of im p u ritie s. A ssoc
iate d m in erals a re m o n tm o rillo n ite , se lad on ite , ch lo rite ,
cristo ba lite an d p yrog e n ic m ine rals - q u artz, pla gio clase , bio
tite an d K -feldsp ar. C u rre n tly, the re are th re e w ays o f
cla ssifying ze o lite s. The first m e th o d is b ase d on th e
top o log y o f th e fram ew o rk (th e th re e le tte r co de ),
(M e ie r e t al. 19 96 ). Th e se co n d w ay is c lassificatio n
in te rm s of th e so -calle d "S e co n d ary b u ld in g u n its"

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(S B U ’ s), (B re ck 1974). Th e th ird sch e m e is sim ilar
to the classifica tio n typ e S B U (B re ck 1974) in clu d in g
th e ch ro n olo g y in w h ich ze o lite s w e re disco ve re d
(B ae rlo ch e r et al., 2007).
Structure and properties of zeolites :

Z e o lite s are m in erals n atu rally fo rm e d in th e re
actio n o f vo lcan ic ash w ith su rfa ce w ate r o r g rou n d w ate r. Th
e y can also arise in th e
n on -vo lcan ic e n viro n m e n t d u rin g an in
teraction b etw e e n th e saline soil pa rtic le s w ith stro n g basic so lu
tio n s.Th e y are crysta llin e , h yd rate d alu m ino silicate s o f m e tals,
in clu din g ca lciu m , m a gn e siu m , sod iu m , p otassiu m ,stron tiu
m an d
b ariu m . D ue to th e ir in n e r stru cture th ey are ch ara cterized b y u n
iq u e ph ysico ch e m ica l p ro pe rtie s: h igh an d cation exch an ge sorp
tion cap acity,
io n-se le ctivity, m ole cu lar sie vin g , ca ta lytic activity an d h igh th e
rm al sta bility u p to 75 0° C .Th e p rim ary b uildin g u n it of ze olite
fram e w ork iste trah e d ro n, th e ce n tre o f w h ich is o ccu pie d b y a
silicon ora lu m in u m ato m s, w ith fo ur o xyg en atom s at th e ve rtice
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s.S u bstitu tion o f S i4+ by Al3+ p ro vide s th e n e ga tive c h arg e of th

e fram ew ork, w h ich is b alan c ed b y m o n ova le n t or d iva le n tc
atio n s lo cate d at th e su rfa ce . Th e alu m in o silicate fra m e w o rk,d
efinin g th e stru ctu re typ e , is th e m ost sta ble com po n e n t.Th e S
ch e m a tic stru ctu re o f th e n atu ral ze olite :
The use of zeolites in agriculture :

Natu ral an d syn th etic ze olite s d u e to
th e ir u n iqu e p h ysico ch e m ical prop e rtie s, h ave
fo u n d w ide a pp licatio n in m an y fie ld s re late d to ag ricu ltu re . Th
e y are be in g in cre asin gly u se d in th e p rod u ction of m in e ral fe
rtilize rs w ith slow re le ase an d as carrie rs of active in g re die n ts o f h
e rb icid es, fu n g icide s a nd p e sticide s.O n e of th e m ain ad van tage
s of u sing ze o lite ad ditive to fe rtilize rs is th e ir b e ne fic ial e ffe ct of
re te n tio n o f n u trie n ts in th e so il.Th e n u trie n ts are re le ase d
gradu ally, no t o n ly in th e first ye a r o f th e ve g e ta tio n p e riod b u t
also in th e se co n d o r th e follow in g ye ars. Th e m o st im p ortan t n
u trie nts n ec essa ry fo r pro p e r g ro w th an d d eve lop m e n t o f p
lan ts, are n itro ge n , po tassiu m , calcium an d m agn e siu m . Th e y a
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ffe ct n o t on ly th e size o f th e crop b u t also its q u ality. Z e o lite s h

ave th e
ab ility to re tain n u trie nts in the to p soil, w h ich a re slo w ly a nd g
rad u ally le ach e d fro m the soil. Th is allow s th e use of sm alle r d ose
s of fe rtilize r, w h ich is asso ciate d w ith a re d u ction in th e cost of cro
p p rod u ction .Th e ad ditio n of ze olite to th e fertilize r h as a sig n
ifican t im pac t on th e con te n t of assim ilative fo rm s of n itrog e n in
th e so il, e spe cially o n lig h t an d san d y so ils.. B e cau se th e so il d o
esn ’ t a bso rb n itrate s, th e se are w ash e d ou t fro m th e so il. Th e
fo rm of n itrog e n th at take s th e lo n ge st to le ac h fro m th e so il is
an am id e .Th e fertilize r o f h ig h n itrog e n co n ce n tratio n in th e
form o f a n am id e is u rea (ab ou t 46 % b y w e ig ht), w h ich is u se d
for th e prod u ction of m in e ral fe rtilize rs fo r se ve ral re aso n s.Z e
olite s a re b ein g u se d to prod u ce th is type of
fe rtilize r.P rod u ction o f th e fe rtilize r co n sists o f
h e atin g th e ze o lite to 400 ° C .. Th e fe rtilize r of th is type can co n
sist o f ab ou t 17 w t% of n itrog e n . U re a, w h ich is be in g clo se d
on ze o lite s tu bu la r take s a slo w co n ve rsio n to am m o n iu m io n
s.A n in tere stin g
ap plic ation o f zeo lite s is th e p ro du ctio n o f an tiba cte rial ag e n ts.
Th e y are o btain e d b y in trod u cin g A g+ io n s in to ze o lite stru ctu
re . A n tib acte rial activity is d u e to slo w re le ase of the active o xyg e
n . S tu die s h ave sh ow n th e e fficacy ag ain st ba cteria su ch a s P se
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u do m o n as a eru gin o sa, E sch e rich ia co li, S taph ylo co ccu s a ure
usm The use of zeolites in soil remediation :

In cre ase o f so il p o llu tion by h e avy m e tals is o n e o
f th e m ain prob le m s of m o d ern ag ricu ltu re . Th e in c re ase d accu
m u la tio n o f m e ta ls in so ils is
h igh ly in flu e n ce d by h um an ac tivity a nd th e related d eve lop m e
n t o f in d u stry an d irra tio n al u se of fe rtilize rs. H e avy m e tals m
ay p e rsist in th e so il fo r h u n dre d s o f yea rs, w hic h is asso ciate d
w ith the risk o f th e ir in clu sio n in a trop h ic ch a in . M e th od s o f
th e p re ve ntio n o f ch e m ic al d e grada tio n o f so ils a re a co m p le
x a n d d e p en d o n m an y facto rs. Th e m ain fac to r de te rm in in g
th e solu bility o f he avy m e tals in so il is low pH . Th is is e xp lain e d
by th e fact th at th e re is a slo w d issolu tio n of th e o xide s of iro n,
alu m in iu m an d m a ng an e se an d also th e re le ase o f h e avy m e
tals fro m th e prim ary a n d se c on d ary m in erals in acid ic e n viro n
m e n ts. Th e u se o f ze o lites in acid ic so ils cau se an in cre ase in pH
th at sign ific an tly affe cts re d uc tio n in h e avy m e tals so lu b ility an

d b ioavailability for p lan ts. E xce p t of ion e xch an g e re actio n s, th e
p H inc re ase p ro m o te s th e a dso rp tio n o f h e avy m e tals o n th e
su rfa ce o f ze o lites an d the ir
o xide s pre c ip itation .Th e u se of ze o lite s sign ifica ntly re d u ce d
th e up take o f cad m iu m an d le ad b y w h e at.S tu die s c on ce rn in
g th e e ffe cts o f vario us ad ditive s o n a ch an ge of the solu b ility o f
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le ad ,ca dm iu m an d zin c h ave sh ow n th at ze o lite s sig nific an tly

re d u ce d th e solu b ility o f le ad a nd cad m iu m in p ollu te d so ils.
A s a re su lt th e ir c on te n t h as sig n ifican tly d e cre ase d in lup in e
w h ite
co m p are d to plan ts grow n w ith o u t th e u se of ad ditive s.
Conclusion :
U nd e r th e p re se n t re q u ire m e n ts o f
e co log ical ag ricu ltu re th e re are w ide are as o f u se fo r a n atu
ral,ine rt an d n on -to xic m ate rial su ch as th e n atu ral ze olite . D u e
to its stru ctu re an d pro p ertie s ze olite m ay be u se d as a slo w -re le
asin g carrie r o f
ag ro ch e m icals of vario u s kin ds an d fe rtilize rs. N atural ze o lite s
are e ffe ctive in im pro vin g soil p rop e rtie s an d tre atin g co ntam in
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ated so il. A w ide ran g e o f ap p lication s of ze olite pro m o te s th e p

ursu it o f o the r p ossib ilitie s fo r th e ir u se .
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cla ssifying ze o lite s. The first m e th o d is b ase d on th e

top o log y o f th e fram ew o rk (th e th re e le tte r co de ),

in te rm s of th e so -calle d "S e co n d ary b u ld in g u n its"

(S B U ’ s), (B re ck 1974). Th e th ird sch e m e is sim ilar

to the classifica tio n typ e S B U (B re ck 1974) in clu d in g

th e ch ro n olo g y in w h ich ze o lite s w e re disco ve re d

(B ae rlo ch e r et al., 2007).

Structure and properties of zeolites :

s.S u bstitu tion o f S i4+ by Al3+ p ro vide s th e n e ga tive c h arg e of th

The use of zeolites in agriculture :

ffe ct n o t on ly th e size o f th e crop b u t also its q u ality. Z e o lite s h

usm The use of zeolites in soil remediation :

m e n ts. Th e u se o f ze o lites in acid ic so ils cau se an in cre ase in pH

th at sign ific an tly affe cts re d uc tio n in h e avy m e tals so lu b ility an

le ad ,ca dm iu m an d zin c h ave sh ow n th at ze o lite s sig nific an tly

ated so il. A w ide ran g e o f ap p lication s of ze olite pro m o te s th e p

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