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Amphibolite vs Pyroxenite


Pyroxenite vs Amphibolite


Definition

Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase  
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
-  

Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite  
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks  

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  
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic  

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey  
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Appearance
Foliated  
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings  
As Building Stone, As Facing 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, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones  

Types

Types
Hornblendite  
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites  

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny  
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock  

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.  
Pyroxenites are ultramafic igneous rocks which are made up of minerals of the pyroxene group, such as augite and diopside, hypersthene, bronzite or enstatite.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite  
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial 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, Water Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
7  

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained  
Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal  
Uneven  

Streak
White to Grey  
White, Greenish White or Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Vitreous to Dull  
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic  

Compressive Strength
90.00 N/mm2  
32
150.00 N/mm2  
22

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
2.3  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.5  
3.2-3.5  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3  
3.1-3.6 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Russia, Turkey  
India, Russia  

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

Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland  
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey  

Others
-  
Greenland  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Brazil  
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
South Australia, Western Australia  
New Zealand, Queensland  

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Amphibolite vs Pyroxenite 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 Pyroxenite Reserves. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine. 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 Pyroxenite information and Amphibolite vs Pyroxenite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Amphibolite vs Pyroxenite 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 Pyroxenite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Pyroxenite. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Pyroxenite 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 Pyroxenite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Pyroxenite, 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 Pyroxenite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Amphibolite and Pyroxenite

Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Pyroxenite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Pyroxenite 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 Pyroxenite includes Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Pyroxenite, 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, Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Pyroxenite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Pyroxenite. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Pyroxenite is 7. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Pyroxenite are Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites. 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 Pyroxenite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Pyroxenite is 0.84 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 Pyroxenite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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