As an aluminum-containing food additive, it is common that sometimes consumers have questions whether sodium silicoaluminate is bad for our health and what are the possible health risks. It is generally considered safe but may be related to Alzheimers and other possible side effects.

Aluminosilicates are a very useful group of minerals and can be used for a wide range of applications, from delicate pieces of jewelry to industrial lubricants. There is even a type of aluminosilicate known as a zeolite than can be used for absorbing various chemicals and ions.

Depending on the temperature and on the content of silica and alumina, aluminosilicate clays, upon heating, form various combinations of alumina, cristobalite, mullite, and liquid. The formation of liquid phases is important in the partial vitrification of clay-based ceramics.

Feldspar is a common tectosilicate aluminosilicate mineral made of potassium, sodium, and calcium cations surrounded by a negatively charged network of silicon, aluminium and oxygen atoms. The catalyst silica-alumina is an amorphous substance which is not an aluminosilicate compound.

Aluminosilicate minerals are minerals composed of aluminium, silicon, and oxygen, plus countercations. They are a major component of kaolin and other clay minerals. Andalusite, kyanite, and sillimanite are naturally occurring aluminosilicate minerals that have the composition Al2SiO5.

Answer: Zeolites are microporous, three dimensional crystalline solid of aluminium silicate. The chemical formula of zeolites is Na2Al2Si2O8.

Data from animal studies show that zeolites can both stimulate and suppress the immune system. Erionite, a type of natural fibrous zeolite, can cause cancer when inhaled.

Prices. —Prices for natural zeolite vary with zeolite content and processing. Unit values, obtained through the U.S. Geological Survey canvass of domestic zeolite producers, ranged from $60 per metric ton to $320 per ton. Most values were between $85 per ton and $160 per ton.

Process  For softening of water by zeolite process,hard water is percolated at a specified rate through a bed of zeolite, kept in a cylinder.  The hardness causing ions(Ca2+ ,Mg2+ ,etc.) are retained by the zeolite as CaZe and MgZe ; while the outgoing water contains sodium salts.

Demineralization of water is the removal of essentially all inorganic salts by ion exchange. In this process, strong acid cation resin in the hydrogen form converts dissolved salts into their corresponding acids, and strong base anion resin in the hydroxide form removes these acids.

Methods

• Ion-exchange resin method.
• Lime softening.
• Chelating agents.
• Washing soda method.
• Distillation and rain water.
• Reverse osmosis.
• Template Assisted Crystallization.

Ion-exchange resin, (zeolite) exchanges one ion from the water being treated for another ion that is in the resin (sodium is one component of softening salt, with chlorine being the other). Zeolite resin exchanges sodium for calcium and magnesium.

Temporary hardness is due to the presence of calcium hydrogencarbonate Ca(HCO3)2(aq) and magnesium hydrogencarbonate Mg(HCO3)2(aq). Both calcium hydrogencarbonate and magnesium hydrogencarbonate decompose when heated. The original insoluble carbonate is reformed. This happens when water is boiled.

Zeolite, any member of a family of hydrated aluminosilicate minerals that contain alkali and alkaline-earth metals. The zeolites are noted for their lability toward ion-exchange and reversible dehydration.

Permanent hardness is hardness (mineral content) that cannot be removed by boiling. When this is the case, it is usually caused by the presence of calcium sulfate and/or magnesium sulfates in the water, which do not precipitate out as the temperature increases.

Hardness in water is caused by dissolved calcium and, to a lesser extent, magnesium. It is usually expressed as the equivalent quantity of calcium carbonate. Depending on pH and alkalinity, hardness above about 200 mg/l can result in scale deposition, particularly on heating.

Washing soda It can soften water that has temporary hardness and it can soften water that has permanent hardness. The calcium ions come from the hard water and the carbonate ions from the washing soda.

Water hardness is mainly caused by calcium and magnesium salts.

When hard water is heated, such as in a home water heater, solid deposits of calcium carbonate can form. This scale can reduce the life of equipment, raise the costs of heating the water, lower the efficiency of electric water heaters, and clog pipes.

Hard water, water that contains salts of calcium and magnesium principally as bicarbonates, chlorides, and sulfates. Ferrous iron may also be present; oxidized to the ferric form, it appears as a reddish brown stain on washed fabrics and enameled surfaces.

The principal hardness causing cations are calcium, magnesium, strontium, ferrous and manganese ions. The major anions associated with these cations are sulphates, carbonates, bicarbonates, chlorides and nitrates.

sodium hexametaphosphate

It can be removed by using a water softener which works on the principle of ion exchange in which calcium and magnesium ions are exchanged with sodium or potassium ions, reducing the concentration of hardness minerals to tolerable levels and thus making the water softer and giving it a smoother feeling [2].

Permanent hardness refers to the mineral content in water that is not possible to remove through boiling. The hardness is typically caused by the presence in water of magnesium sulfates and/or calcium sulfate that do not undergo precipitation at increased temperatures.

Lime softening (lime buttering) or lime-soda treatment also known as Clark’s process, is a type of water treatment used for water softening which uses the addition of limewater (calcium hydroxide) to remove hardness (calcium and magnesium ions) by precipitation.

1 : the quality or state of being hard. 2a : the cohesion of the particles on the surface of a mineral as determined by its capacity to scratch another or be itself scratched — compare mohs’ scale. b : resistance of metal to indentation under a static load or to scratching.

Permanent hardness = CaCl2 + MgSO4 + MgCl2 = 100 + 33.3 + 100 = 233.3mgs/Lit. Total hardness = Temporary hardness + Permanent hardness = 100 + 233.3 = 333.3mgs/Lit.

Degrees of general hardness (dGH or °GH) is a unit of water hardness, specifically of general hardness. General hardness is a measure of the concentration of divalent metal ions such as calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) per volume of water.

The most common mechanical way to soften water is through the use of an ion exchange water softener. This device uses an ion exchange process to replace hardness minerals in the water with another substance. The vast majority of water softening equipment today exchanges hardness minerals for sodium.

It is used to measure dilute concentrations of chemical substances. For water hardness levels, we measure parts per million of minerals including calcium carbonate (CACO3) in the water. Calcium carbonate is the compound in hard water that causes limescale build-up.