zeolite

American  

[zee-uh-lahyt] / ˈzi əˌlaɪt /

noun

Mineralogy.

1. any of a group of hydrated silicates of aluminum with alkali metals, commonly occurring as secondary minerals in cavities in basic volcanic rocks: used for their molecular sieve properties because they undergo dehydration with little or no change in crystal structure.

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zeolite British  

/ ˈziːəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. any of a large group of glassy secondary minerals consisting of hydrated aluminium silicates of calcium, sodium, or potassium: formed in cavities in lava flows and plutonic rocks

2. any of a class of similar synthetic materials used in ion exchange and as selective absorbents See molecular sieve

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zeolite Scientific  

/ zē′ə-līt′ /

1. Any of a family of hydrous aluminum silicate minerals, whose molecules enclose cations of sodium, potassium, calcium, strontium, or barium. Zeolites are usually white or colorless, but they can also be red or yellow. They are characterized by their easy and reversible loss of water of hydration. They usually occur within cavities in basalt.

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Other Word Forms

• zeolitic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of zeolite

1770–80; < Greek ze ( în ) to boil + -o- + -lite

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

zeolite

“The level of zeolite dusting is similar to how you would dust a countertop with flour if you were rolling dough,” he said, noting he purchased zeolite in 25-pound tubs from Home Depot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2025

Celestian, who used zeolite to reduce lead on a project in Vernon in 2022-23, estimated a 20-by-20-foot yard would need about 50 pounds, “but any amount will help.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2025

Zhang performed infrared spectroscopy, revealing that nickel was typically isolated and bound by two silicon atoms in the zeolite framework.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 26, 2024

A sediment core from one of Tikal's reservoirs also found that zeolite sand had been used in its construction.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2023

But in this mineral specimen, we have a solid crystalline salt, with a structure which, upon fracture, appears to be sparry and radiated, something resembling that of zeolite.

From Theory of the Earth, Volume 1 (of 4) by James Hutton

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