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Amphibolite vs Pegmatite


Pegmatite vs Amphibolite


Definition

Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase  
Pegmatite rock is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is composed of interlocking phaneritic crystals  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
-  

Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart  
R. J. Hauy  

Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite  
From Greek pegma, pegmat which means- thing joined together + -ite  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Plutonic  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Banded, Foliated, Massive  
Pegmatitic  

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey  
Black, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Foliated  
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens  
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz  

Types

Types
Hornblendite  
Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite  

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny  
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.  
Pegmatite rock is holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is formed by partial melting and dewatering during the process of metamorphism.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite  
Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, Phosphorus Pentoxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
7  

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained  
Medium to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White to Grey  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Vitreous to Dull  
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
90.00 N/mm2  
32
178.54 N/mm2  
19

Cleavage
-  
Perfect  

Toughness
2.3  
2.1  

Specific Gravity
2.5  
2.6-2.63  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent to Opaque  

Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3  
2.6-2.65 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.79 kJ/Kg K  
17

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Russia, Turkey  
China, India, Iran, Japan, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea  

Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda  
South Africa  

Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland  
Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada  

South America
Brazil  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
South Australia, Western Australia  
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia  

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Amphibolite vs Pegmatite 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 Amphibolite and Pegmatite Reserves. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. Pegmatite rock is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is composed of interlocking phaneritic crystals. 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 Amphibolite vs Pegmatite information and Amphibolite vs Pegmatite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Amphibolite vs Pegmatite 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. Amphibolite vs Pegmatite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Pegmatite. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Pegmatite in the next section. The interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Pegmatite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Pegmatite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Amphibolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone and that of Pegmatite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping.

More about Amphibolite and Pegmatite

Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Pegmatite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Pegmatite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite and mineral content of Pegmatite includes Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Pegmatite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors whereas, Pegmatite is available in black, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Pegmatite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Pegmatite. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Pegmatite is 7. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Pegmatite are Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Amphibolite is white to grey while that of Pegmatite is white. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Pegmatite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Pegmatite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.

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