This is more about the librarian life than the mineral group of zeolites. The library where I used to work got this reference question to find out about this substance that’s used in various commercial products, including, I’m told, dialysis machines. Since I am usually seeking the opportunity to broaden my horizons, and the question was near the top of the queue, I took it.
I discovered that the website of the United States Geological Survey has a National Minerals Information Center. From the page I needed: “Zeolites are hydrated aluminosilicates of the alkaline and alkaline-earth metals.” Yeah, right.
“Natural and synthetic zeolites are used commercially because of their unique adsorption, ion-exchange, molecular sieve, and catalytic properties. Major markets for natural zeolites are pet litter, animal feed, horticultural applications (soil conditioners and growth media), and wastewater treatment.”
I also checked with this site, which indicated that zeolites “are built of corner-linked tetrahedra and contain exchangeable cations.” Yet, an hour and a half later, I was not only finished, I knew I had useful information.
“In 2018, six companies in the United States operated nine zeolite mines and produced an estimated 95,000 tons of natural zeolites, a 15% increase from that of 2017… New Mexico was estimated to be the leading natural zeolite-producing State in 2018, followed by California, Idaho, Texas, Oregon, and Arizona.
“The top three U.S. companies accounted for approximately 90% of total domestic production. An estimated 93,000 tons of natural zeolites were sold in the United States during 2018, an increase of 14% compared with sales in 2017.” After finishing the inquiry, I went into the office of the library director and said, “I have no real idea what I just researched, but I know it’s good stuff.”
Sometimes being a librarian means working on questions for which you have no feel, no particular interest. Just focus on the bottom line, and ignore sentences such as “The most common [zeolites] are analcime, chabazite, clinoptilolite, erionite, ferrierite, heulandite, laumontite, mordenite, and phillipsite.”
For ABC Wednesday
Today I learned the word “adsorption”, and that it’s not a typo. I’ll probably forget it by tomorrow, but today I know a new word. Thanks. Though this time there were quite a few arrangements of letters that are allegedly words, that one may turn out to be useful.
Made for an interesting post for Z ~ still not sure I know what they are ~ LOL
Happy Day to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
š Recognizableā¦ I would get lost in the first sentence right away š
But stillā¦ there is far more to learn in this world then we could ever imagine.
Have a heartwarming en splendid ABC-Wednes-day / -week
M e l o d y (team ABC-W)
https://melodyk.nl/24-z
Still don’t know what they are. But your post was fun to read!
Our world is a minefield of objects/things we’ve no inkling about. So learned a new word Zeolites, which is a mineral perhaps and has multiple uses!