zeolite
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.
Origin of zeolite
1Other words from zeolite
- ze·o·lit·ic [zee-uh-lit-ik], /ˌzi əˈlɪt ɪk/, adjective
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How to use zeolite in a sentence
Desmine, des′min, n. a zeolitic mineral occurring in clusters.
British Dictionary definitions for zeolite
/ (ˈziːəˌlaɪt) /
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
any of a class of similar synthetic materials used in ion exchange and as selective absorbents: See molecular sieve
Origin of zeolite
1Derived forms of zeolite
- zeolitic (ˌziːəˈlɪtɪk), adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for zeolite
[ zē′ə-līt′ ]
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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