Zeolites are a category of hydrated aluminosilicate minerals with a three-dimensional porous crystalline structure. Natural zeolites are mostly formed in volcanic sedimentary rocks, and they can also be produced via artificial synthesis.
Their unique pore and cavity structure endows them with excellent adsorptive capacity, ion exchange performance and catalytic properties, leading to wide applications in the industrial sector: they can serve as adsorbents in water treatment to remove heavy metal ions, act as catalyst carriers in chemical production, and also play a role in fertilizer and water retention as well as soil improvement in the fields of building materials and agriculture. They are thus a multifunctional material with both environmental and economic values.