Zeolite is the most effective way to supplement root zone CEC and reduce fertilizer usage.
Zeolites are slow release fertilisers. Plant nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium are held by the negatively charged clinoptilolite structure, and released on demand.
Zeolites increase nutrient retention, reduce environmental nutrient losses and reduce fertilizer requirements by establishing a replenishable and balanced nutrient supply in the plant root zone.
Zeolite adds a permanent water reservoir, providing prolonged moisture holding power during dry periods, and it promotes rapid re-wetting and improved lateral spread of water in the root zone during irrigation.
Zeolite is very porous with an incredibly large surface area. The selectivity of zeolite for ammonium helps buffer the soil and prevents toxicity, which occurs when excess ammonium is applied. This property allows the grower to use this less costly form of nitrogen in larger and less frequent applications during the growing season. The retention and timely release of needed nutrients by zeolite improves overall crop yield. It provides a lasting reservoir of nutrients allowing the user to reduce added fertilization while achieving better plant and vegetable performance.
The basis for Zeolite’s stable inorganic structure is the stacking of one alumina to five silica tetrahedra in a unique symmetrical arrangement.This symmetrical stacking results in an open framework with a void space which retains water. The net negative charge within the voids holds the cations for the cation exchange capacity. The open and negatively charged framework results in Zeolite’s ability to exchange plant nutrients into and out of the stable three dimensional honeycomb framework.
Advantages of Natural Zeolites:
• Increases cation exchange capacity (CEC)
• Reduces fertilizer usage—in some cases, nitrogen usage reduced by 25%
• Reduces water usage
• Provides available potassium (ion exchanged from the Zeolite structure)
• Increases phosphorous utilization and availability by 89%
• Cost effective
Environmentally Driven Market Applications of Zeolite
a- Feed Additive :
Clinoptilolite application on the daily diet of the animals, reduction of the digestion system illnesses.Clinoptilolite addition to the feed formulation has a positive effect on the growing up of the animals. In Concentrated Animal Growing facilities, the addition of as little as 1% of a very low sodium clinoptiloite was shown to improve feed conversion, reduce airborne ammonia up to 80%, act as a mycotoxin binder and improve bone density.
b- Fertilizer Additive / Soil Conditioner :
In agriculture, clinoptilolite (a naturally occurring zeolite) is used as a soil treatment. It provides a source of slowly released potassium. If previously loaded with ammonium, the zeolite can serve a similar function in the slow release of nitrogen. Studies in the emerging field of "zeoponics" suggest that some crops may be grown in 100% zeolite or zeolite mixtures in which the zeolite is previously loaded or coated with fertilizer and micronutrients. Zeolites can also act as water moderators, in which they will absorb up to 55% of their weight in water and slowly release it under plant demand. This property can prevent root rot and moderate drought cycles. A potting soil with 12% clinoptilolite was shown to harvest morning dew and return it to the plant roots for reuse. The same bed was able to grow a Jerico strain of leaf lettuce in a sub tropical climate without external water and daytime temperatures exceeding 85 °F. This produce did not bolt and went full term before setting seeds. It also has been shown that certain zeolites can reduce nitrates and nitrites to more plant usable free nitrogen by ion exchange.
c- Waste Water Treatmeant Media:
Zeolites contribute to a cleaner, safer environment in a great number of ways. In fact nearly every application of zeolites has been driven by environmental concerns, or plays a significant role in reducing toxic waste.
d- Pool Filtration Media :
Zeolite offers superior performance to sand and carbon filters, giving purer water and higher throughput rates with less maintenance required. Zeolite’s highly porous structure captures particulate contamination down to 4 microns in size.
e- Aquacultural Uses :
Zeolites can reduce ammonium and hydrogen sulphide levels in fish/prawn ponds, resulting in increased fish/prawn growth rates and population densities.
f- Aquarium Filtration Media :
Zeolite is an efficient ammonia remover and also provides a large surface area for nitrifying bacteria in recirculating systems. Zeolite does not only provide optical clearness of your water, but it also keeps it biologically clean. Zeolite filtration is used in some marine aquaria to keep nutrient concentrations low for the benefit of corals adapted to nutrient-depleted waters.
g- Pet Litter and Odor Control:
Natural zeolites are uniquely effective in adsorbing ammonia and also adsorb hydrogen sulfide. These properties make natural zeolites ideal for use in pet litter to prevent emanation of irritating odors. For similar reasons, natural zeolites can be used for effective control of irritating gases in horse stalls, barns, kennels, etc.
h- Radioactive Waste Treatment :
Natural zeolite has a high ion exchange capacity and a particular affinity for heavy metal cations. It can absorb elements such as strontium 90, caesium 137 and other radioactive isotopes from solution, and hold them in its 3 dimensional crystal framework.
i- Fillers :
Zeolites are used as fillers in the manufacture of paper. These filler grades of zeolite have a large potential for utilization in the paint and plastics industries.
j- Gas Purification and Seperation:
Zeolites act as molecular sieves, they are used to purify or sweeten natural gases through the removal of impurities such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and water. In addition to upgrading natural gas, zeolites are used to separate oxygen and nitrogen in pressure swing adsorption columns.
k- Petrochemical industry:
Synthetic zeolites are widely used as catalysts in the petrochemical industry, for instance in fluid catalytic cracking and hydro-cracking. Zeolites confine molecules in small spaces, which causes changes in their structure and reactivity.
l- Lightweight Construction Materials:
Natural zeolite can be used to prepare lightweight concrete for construction. It’s porous silicate structure makes it much lighter than sand which gives increased volume per tonne but with similar hardness and strength. Zeolite is free from clay which reduces the overall strength of the concrete, and it’s porous structure holds moisture which facilitates a more rapid curing of the concrete. When added to Portland Cement as a Pozzolan, it can reduce chloride permeability and improve workability. It reduces weight and helps moderate water content while allowing for slower drying which improves break strength.
m- Nuclear Industry:
Zeolites have uses in advanced reprocessing methods, where their micro-porous ability to capture some ions while allowing others to pass freely allow many fission products to be efficiently removed from nuclear waste and permanently trapped. Equally important are the mineral properties of zeolites. Their alumino-silicate construction is extremely durable and resistant to radiation even in porous form. Additionally, once they are loaded with trapped fission products, the zeolite-waste combination can be hot pressed into an extremely durable ceramic form, closing the pores and trapping the waste in a solid stone block. This is a waste form factor that greatly reduces its hazard compared to conventional reprocessing systems.
n- Radioactive Waste Treatment:
Natural zeolites are being used to treat low and intermediate aqueous waste. Current users are British Nuclear Fuels in Great Britain, West Valley Nuclear and Date Ridge National Laboratory. Natural zeolite has been used in the clean-up at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.
o- Heating and refrigeration:
Zeolites can be used as solar thermal collectors and for adsorption refrigeration. In these applications, their high heat of adsorption and ability to hydrate and dehydrate while maintaining structural stability is exploited. This hygroscopic property coupled with an inherent exothermic reaction when transitioning from a dehydrated to a hydrated form (heat adsorption), make natural zeolites effective in the storage of solar and waste heat energy. The heat of water adsorption for zeolites is high. They also possess high adsorption capacity, undergo reversible adsorption/desorption, and are structurally stable. These properties enable zeolite to be used in solar-powered refrigerators and to store energy during off-peak periods and release it during peak periods. Zeolites can also be used in refrigeration and air cooling systems to reduce water in the air to very low concentrations, allowing very effective evaporative cooling to occur.
p- Medical:
Zeolite-based oxygen generation systems are widely used to produce medical grade oxygen. The zeolite is used as a molecular sieve to create purified oxygen from air, in a process involving the absorption of undesired gases and other atmospheric components, leaving highly purified oxygen and up to 5% argon. Liquid & Capsule Ziolite are produced for detoxify human body and anti-cancer.
q- Detergents:
The largest outlet for synthetic zeolite is the global laundry market. This amounted to 1.44 million metric tons per year of anhydrous zeolite A in 1992.
