Zeolite Mineral Resource Base of Russia

The main zeolite deposits in Russia and the other CIS nations are considered, large zeolite provinces are identified, and the most promising territories for expanding the mineral resource base of the Russian Federation are determined. Information on the reserves of deposits, the degree of their exploitation, and production rates is provided. The influence of formation conditions, composition and type of the parent material, on the color and textural-structural features of zeolites is established. The features of geological structure and composition of sedimentary, volcanogenic-sedimentary, and hydrothermal zeolite deposits are considered. A comparative analysis of zeolites from the most important industrial deposits in Russia and the CIS is given, characterizing their mineral and chemical compositions, thermal properties, volume of cation exchange capacity and specific surface area. This work is the result of the authors’ own geological field work on various zeolite deposits in Russia and the CIS, as well as a summary of previously published materials.