Faujasite

A variety of Minerals

What is Faujasite?

Faujasite is a mineral group in the zeolite family of silicate minerals. The group consists of faujasite-Na, faujasite-Mg and faujasite-Ca. They all share the same basic formula (Na2,Ca,Mg)3.5[Al7Si17O48]·32(H2O) by varying the amounts of sodium, magnesium and calcium. It occurs as a rare mineral in several locations worldwide and is also synthesized industrially.

Uses & Applications

Faujasite is used above all as a catalyst in fluid catalytic cracking to convert high-boiling fractions of petroleum crude to more valuable gasoline, diesel and other products. Zeolite Y has superseded zeolite X in this use because it is both more active and more stable at high temperatures due to the higher Si/Al ratio. It is also used in the hydrocracking units as a platinum/palladium support to increase aromatic content of reformulated refinery products. Type X zeolite can be used to selectively adsorb CO2 from gas streams and is used in the prepurification of air for industrial air separation.

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Faujasite Localities Map

See where Faujasite is found with a localities map, collecting zones, and geology context. Generate a sample map preview below.

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Key Characteristics

Formation of Faujasite

Faujasite was first described in 1842 for an occurrence in the Limberg Quarries, Sasbach, Kaiserstuhl, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The sodium modifier faujasite-Na was added following the discovery of the magnesium and calcium rich phases in the 1990s. It was named for Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond (1741–1819), French geologist and volcanologist. Faujasite occurs in vesicles within basalt and phonolite lava and tuff as an alteration or authigenic mineral. It occurs with other zeolites, olivine, augite and nepheline.

Composition of Faujasite

The faujasite framework has been attribute the FAU code by the International Zeolite Association. It consists of sodalite cages which are connected through hexagonal prisms. The pore, which is formed by a 12-membered ring, has a relatively large diameter of 7.4 Å. The inner cavity has a diameter of 12 Å and is surrounded by 10 sodalite cages. The unit cell is cubic; Pearson symbol cF576, symmetry Fd3m, No.227, lattice constant 24.7 Å. Zeolite Y has a void fraction of 48% and a Si/Al ratio of 2.43. It thermally decomposes at 793 °C.