This process has applications in medicine, livestock feeds and other types of research. Zeolites added to livestock feed have been shown to absorb toxins that are damaging and even fatal to the growth of the animals, while the basic structure of the zeolite is biologically neutral. Aquarium hobbyists are seeing more zeolite products in pet stores as zeolites make excellent removers of ammonia and other toxins. Most municipal water supplies are processed through zeolites before public consumption. These uses of zeolites are extremely important for industry, although synthetic zeolites are now doing the bulk of the work.
Zeolites have basically three different structural variations.
Sheet-like structures where the crystals are flattened platy or tabular with usually good basal cleavages, ie heulandite . And framework structures where the crystals are more equant in dimensions, ie Chabazite . The chain-like structures can be thought of like towers or high wire pylons. The sheet-like structures can be thought of 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.