Another term for Zeolites is "aluminosilicate molecular sieve." In 1756 Cronstedt discovered a selection of natural minerals which, when heated produced steam. Due to this strange phenomenon he called them Zeolites from the Greek for Boiling Stone (zeo - from zein - to boil, lithos - stone).

Not until the early 1900's and in particular the 1940's did zeolites become of interest to man. In 1949, Milton working at Union Carbide produced the world's first man-made zeolites, the most important being Linde A and X. Linde A has gone on to become one the most widely used zeolites.

When used in filtration systems, zeolites bond to targeted molecules to remove them from the passing air.