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Diatomite
Diatomite

Obsidian
Obsidian



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Diatomite vs Obsidian

1 Definition
1.1 Definition
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth
1.2 History
1.2.1 Origin
Germany
Ethiopia
1.2.2 Discoverer
Unknown
Obsius
1.3 Etymology
From diatom + -ite1
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
1.4 Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
1.4.1 Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
1.5 Family
1.5.1 Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
1.6 Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
2 Texture
2.1 Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Glassy
2.2 Color
Grey, White, Yellow
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
2.3 Maintenance
Less
Less
2.4 Durability
Non-Durable
Durable
2.4.1 Water Resistant
59% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
81% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.2 Scratch Resistant
62% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
86% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.3 Stain Resistant
43% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
66% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.4 Wind Resistant
38% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
49% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.5 Acid Resistant
22% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
48% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
2.5 Appearance
Soft
Shiny
3 Uses
3.1 Architecture
3.1.1 Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
3.1.2 Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration
3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
3.2 Industry
3.2.1 Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
3.2.2 Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Surgery
3.3 Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Jewellery
3.4 Other Uses
3.4.1 Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
4 Types
4.1 Types
Not Available
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
4.2 Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
4.3 Archaeological Significance
4.3.1 Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
4.3.2 Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4.3.3 Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
4.3.4 Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4.3.5 Pictographs
Used
Used
4.3.6 Petroglyphs
Used
Used
4.3.7 Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
4.4 Fossils
Present
Absent
5 Formation
5.1 Formation
Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.
When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.
5.2 Composition
5.2.1 Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
Not Available
5.2.2 Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
5.3 Transformation
5.3.1 Metamorphism
19% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
97% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
5.3.3 Weathering
78% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
99% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
5.3.4 Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
5.3.5 Erosion
86% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
92% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
5.3.6 Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
6 Properties
6.1 Physical Properties
6.1.1 Hardness
1
5-5.5
6.1.2 Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Not Applicable
6.1.3 Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
6.1.4 Streak
White
White
6.1.5 Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
6.1.6 Luster
Dull
Vitreous
6.1.7 Compressive Strength
Flint
Not Available
Rank: N/A (Overall)
0.15 N/mm2
Rank: 33 (Overall)
Obsidian
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6.1.8 Cleavage
Non-Existent
Non-Existent
6.1.9 Toughness
1
Not Available
6.1.10 Specific Gravity
2.3-2.4
2.6-2.7
6.1.11 Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
6.1.12 Density
2.49-2.51 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
6.2 Thermal Properties
6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity
Banded iron for..
0.90 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 12 (Overall)
0.92 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 10 (Overall)
Granulite
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6.2.2 Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
7 Reserves
7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents
7.1.1 Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
7.1.2 Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Kenya
7.1.3 Europe
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
7.1.4 Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
7.2 Deposits in Western Continents
7.2.1 North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
7.2.2 South America
Colombia
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent
7.3.1 Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
New Zealand

Diatomite vs Obsidian Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Diatomite and Obsidian Reserves. Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Diatomite vs Obsidian information and Diatomite vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Diatomite vs Obsidian Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Diatomite vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diatomite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Diatomite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Diatomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diatomite and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diatomite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Diatomite and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Diatomite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diatomite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diatomite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Diatomite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Diatomite is Soft and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diatomite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Diatomite is 1 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Diatomite are Not Available whereas types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diatomite and Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Diatomite is 0.90 kJ/Kg K and that of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diatomite is heat resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.