Question

Is zeolite a clay?

Answer 1

1. Clay: Clay is a type of heavy soil that, when wet, is sticky and mushy but, when baked or dried, becomes hard.
2. The first ceramic substance discovered is clay. Due to a molecular water film around the clay particles, clays acquire flexibility when wet.
3. Zeolite: Any mineral belonging to the family of hydrated aluminosilicates that contains alkali and alkaline-earth metals is called zeolite.
4. The zeolites are known for their reversible dehydration and lability toward ion exchange.
5. As zeolite is reversible for dehydration but clay is not so. from the definition of clay and zeolite, it is clear that they are not the same.

Hence, zeolite is not clay.