Zeolites occur in nature and have been known for almost 250 years as alumino silicate minerals. Examples are clinoptilolite, mordenite, offretite, ferrierite, erionite and chabazite. Today, most of these and many other zeolites are of great interest in heterogeneous catalysis, yet their naturally occurring forms are of limited value as catalysts because nature has not optimized their properties for catalytic applications and the naturally occurring zeolites almost always contain undesired impurity phases. It was only with the advent of synthetic zeolites in the period from about 1948 to 1959 (thanks to the pioneering work of R. M. Barrer and R. M. Milton) that this class of porous materials began to playa role in catalysis. A landmark event was the introduction of synthetic faujasites (zeolite X at first, zeolite Y slightly later) as catalysts in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) of heavy petroleum distillates in 1962, one of the most important chemical processes with a worldwide capacity of the order of 500 million t/a. Compared to the previously used amorphous silica-alumina catalysts, the zeolites were not only orders of magnitude more active, which enabled drastic process engineering improvements to be made, but they also brought about a significant increase in the yield of the target product, viz. motor gasoline. With the huge FCC capacity worldwide, the added value of this yield enhancement is of the order of 10 billion US $ per year.

This indispensable two-volume handbook covers everything on this hot research field. The first part deals with the synthesis, modification, characterization and application of catalytic active zeolites, while the second focuses on such reaction types as cracking, hydrocracking, isomerization, reforming and other industrially important topics. Edited by a highly experienced and internationally renowned team with chapters written by the "Who's Who" of zeolite research.

Accessible references for researchers and industrialists in this exciting field, covering both developments and applications of catalysis.

The idea for putting together a tutorial on zeolites came originally from my co-editor, Eric Derouane, about 5 years ago. I ?rst met Eric in the mid-1980s when he spent 2 years working for Mobil R&D at our then Corporate lab at Princeton, NJ. He was on the senior technical staff with projects in the synthesis and characterization of new materials. At that time, I managed a group at our Paulsboro lab that was responsible for catalyst characterization in support of our catalyst and process development efforts, and also had a substantial group working on new material synthesis. Hence, our interests overlapped considerably and we met regularly. After Eric moved back to Namur (initially), we maintained contact, and in the 1990s, we met a number of times in Europe on projects of joint interest. It was after I retired from ExxonMobil in 2002 that we began to discuss the tutorial concept seriously. Eric had (semi-)retired and lived on the Algarve, the southern coast of Portugal. In January 2003, my wife and I spent 3 weeks outside of Lagos, and I worked parts of most days with Eric on the proposed content of the book. We decided on a comprehensive approach that ultimately amounted to some 20+ chapters covering all of zeolite chemistry and catalysis and gave it the title Zeolite Chemistry and Catalysis: An integrated Approach and Tutorial.

These proceedings reflect recent developments in the field of zeolite chemistry and catalysis with an emphasis on the role of a modifying component on the properties of the molecular sieve material. The plenary lectures and contributed papers concentrate on the problem of isomorphous substitution in a zeolitic framework; on the occlusion and the structure of metal, metal oxide, and metal sulphide clusters and complexes in the intracrystalline void volume of molecular sieves and zeolites as well as in the interlaminar space of layered compounds. Catalytic applications are discussed, not only in regard to traditional hydrocarbon transformation, but also in such areas as: reduction of SO2, decomposition of NO, reactions of sulphur containing compounds and conversion of CO, CO2 to hydrocarbons or of alcohols to oxygenated products. Because the book provides valuable data and information on new achievements in the zeolite material science and application, it will be of considerable interest to all research groups involved in zeolite science.

Presented in an easy-to-read form, this book on zeolite catalysis cover all aspects of the subject. It focuses on synthesis, structure, diffusion, deactivation, and industrial applications. This book is an ideal text for courses on catalysis or as a supplementary text for those studying applied or industrial chemistry. It is also a useful resource for anyone who works with zeolites as catalysts in the laboratory, pilot plants, or commercial installations.