Thin Layer Chromatographic Behaviour and Separation of some Carboxylic Acids on Heulandite as a New Adsorbent

School of studies in Chemistry, Vikram University, Ujjain- 456 010

Manuscript received 24 April 1991, revised  5 December, accepted 22 January 1992

Heulandite, a naturally occurring zeolite of 7th group with general formula Ca₂ Al₄SiO₂O_{3 2}.11H₂O, is a crystalline hydrated aluminium silicate of alkali metal with a three-dimensional anion net-work. The mineral occurs principally in cavities in basaltic and related rocks associated with chabazite, stilbite and other zeolites. It may also occur in other volcanic rocks in granite and pegmatites and rarely in gnesis or crystalline schists. Fermor¹ reported houlandite from Bhusawal (India) which shows molecular strain, Roy² described the same mineral from Lonavala Dehu road basalts. In the present work heulandite is used as an adsorbent to study the thin layer chromatographic behaviour of carboxylic acids.