It is known that various natural alumino-silicate minerals are beneficial to animals, and even humans, for the treatment of a range of digestive aliments and to improve the efficiency of animal feeds. Kaolinite is widely used for the treatment of acid stomach and various digestive imbalances. Bentonite is also used for similar treatment in horses and cattle. More recently, natural and manufactured zeolites have been tested and found to have some varying degree of effectiveness in improved feed conversion, treating digestive ailments, improved animal condition and improved healing of injuries. However, the effectiveness of natural zeolites has in general been found to be rather poorer than the effectiveness of manufactured zeolites.
Natural zeolites are alumino-silicate minerals with various forms of an open box-work crystal structure. There are some 41 known natural zeolite minerals of which clinoptilolite; mordenite, erionite, chabazite and stellerite are but a small number. Molecular bonds within these crystal structures create an attractive force that pulls cations, anions and other small charged particles into the crystal structure. Some powdery natural zeolites are treated by a sintering process to improve their handling characteristics and some are dosed with metal compounds, such as manganese, to alter their reaction to various processes. In the inventor's experience, most crystalline zeolites are denigrated by excessive heat treatment. It was considered by the inventor that by using some form of irradiation it may be possible to enhance the internal molecular bonds and thereby make zeolite minerals and other natural alumino-silicate minerals more attractive to small charged particles.
It was also considered by the inventor that improving the reactivity of natural zeolites and other natural alumino-silicate minerals in this way might produce enhanced animal husbandry, veterinary and pharmaceutical products, as well as improved methods of treatment of both human and non human animals, and particularly mammals.
It was also considered by the inventor that subjecting natural alumino-silicate minerals to the type of radiation described may disturb the molecular structure of the alumino-silicate minerals and render some of the silicon atoms bio-available.