Adsorption - Zeolites are used to adsorb a variety of materials. This includes applications in drying, purification, and separation. They can remove volatile organic chemicals from air streams, separate isomers and mixtures of gases. Zeolites can also be acid catalysts and can be used as supports for active metals or reagents. They have also been used as oxidation catalysts.
Synthetic zeolites are the most important catalysts in petrochemical refineries.
They do this by exchanging the sodium in the zeolite for the calcium and magnesium present in the water. The framework aluminum and silicon are bound to each other through shared oxygen atoms. The net negative charge is balanced by cations that are present during the synthesis. These cations are highly mobile and can be exchanged for other cationic species. There are numerous naturally occurring and synthetic zeolites, each with a unique structure.