The word zeolite means boiling stone, named by Swede minerologist Fredrich Cronstdet who explored the mineral in 1756. Its main structure is constituted by SiO₄ and/or AlO₄. Most significant features of this structure are the huge amount gaps and cavities it contains; ability to release the water in these gaps and cavities at high temperatures without losing its original form; and possessing loosely bounded, exchangable cations. Therefore it can successfully be used in adsorbtion, ion exchange and dehydration processes.

Today, more than 40 natural and more than 150 artificial types of zeolite are used in fields such as agriculture and stockbreeding, pollution control, energy applications, and mining and metallurgy.