Background of clinoptilolite
Zeolites are a family of crystalline aluminosilicate minerals. The first zeolite was described in
1756 by Cronstedt, a Swedish mineralogist who coined the name from two Greek words
meaning ‘boiling stones’, referring to the evolution of steam when the rock is heated. About fifty
different natural zeolites are now known and more than one hundred and fifty have been
synthesized for specific applications such as industrial catalysis or as detergent builders.
Clinoptilolite is a naturally-occurring zeolite, formed by the devitrification (ie the conversion of
glassy material to crystalline material) of volcanic ash in lake and marine waters millions of
years ago. It is the most researched of all zeolites and is widely regarded as the most useful. In
common with other zeolites, clinoptilolite has a cage-like structure consisting of SiO4 and AlO4
tetrahedra joined by shared oxygen atoms. The negative charges of the AlO4 units are balanced
by the presence of exchangeable cations - notably calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and
iron. These ions can be readily displaced by other substances, for example heavy metals
(mercury, lead, cadmium, etc..) and ammonium ions. This phenomenon is known as cationic
exchange, and it is the very high cationic exchange capacity of clinoptilolite which provides
many of its useful properties. Being a naturally occurring mineral, the precise composition of
clinoptilolite is subject to a degree of variation. However, an approximate empirical formula is
(Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na)3-6Si30Al6O72.24H2O. The Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Number for
clinoptilolite is 12173-10-3.
Clinoptilolite is currently used in diverse applications such as drinking water purification, air
filtration, plant fertilizer and as an animal feed additive. Many studies have shown that
clinoptilolite absorbs toxins created by molds in animal feeds, as well as enhancing nutrient
absorption by cattle, pigs, lambs and other animals.
Clinoptilolite of volcanic origin has been approved by the EU for use in the category of “Binders, anti-caking agents and coagulants” in feeding stuffs for pigs, rabbits and poultry at levels of up to 20,000 mg/kg. In the United States, clinoptilolite falls under the category of sodium aluminosilicate and has GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status used primarily as an anti-caking agent (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Section 182.2727).
Clinoptilolite forms the basis of the anti-diarrhea drug ‘Enterex’, which was approved by the
Cuban Drug Control Agency in 1995. The large majority of toxicology studies on zeolites have
been performed on clinoptilolite, chabazite and Zeolite A – the latter because of its widespread use in household detergents. No fatal case arising from the oral uptake of any of these zeolites
has been identified.
Framework structure of clinoptilolite
Source of Clinoptilolite
Deposits of clinoptilolite exist in many countries around the world, including the USA, Cuba,
Italy, Turkey, Greece, Ukraine and Japan. Wellness Industries, Inc. currently imports
clinoptilolite only from a single mine in New Mexico, USA. This deposit is a very high purity
clinoptilolite and, unlike many deposits, contains no radioactive materials and very low levels of
heavy metals. In the event of alternative source(s) being utilised in the future, the mineral will of
course be subjected to the same rigorous quality control procedures.
How to order Activated Liquid Zeolite:
To order Activated Liquid Zeolite, please call Brett Hayes at Vitality Plus Australia...
FREE CALL: 1800 704 311 (Monday - Friday 9.00am - 6.00pm) or
MOBILE: 0427 154 735
or to contact via Email, please Click Here
