Home
Compare Rocks


Anorthosite and Anthracite


Anthracite and Anorthosite


Definition

Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase  
Anthracite is a type of sedimentary rock which is hard and is variety of coal that has high luster  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
Pennsylvania, U.S.  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1  
From Greek anthrakites, from anthrax, anthrak meaning coal  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Foliated, Glassy  
Amorphous, Glassy  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
No  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  
Veined or Pebbled  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration  
-  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration  
-  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
-  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate  
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production  

Medical Industry
-  
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Manufacture of Aspirins  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
-  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling  
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry  

Types

Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite  
Semi-anthracite and Meta-anthracite  

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock  
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.   
Anthracite forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. When plant debris dies and falls into the swamp, the standing water of the swamp protects it from decay.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene  
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals  

Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide  
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion  
-  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-6  
1-1.5  

Grain Size
Coarse Grained  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Irregular  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
Black  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous  
Shiny  

Compressive Strength
180.00 N/mm2  
18
-  

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82  
1.1-1.4  

Transparency
Translucent  
Opaque  

Density
2.7-4 g/cm3  
1.25-2.5 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
1.32 kJ/Kg K  
4

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Water Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
-  
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam  

Africa
-  
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania  

Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic  
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada  
Canada, Mexico, USA  

South America
Bolivia, Colombia  
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia  
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Anorthosite and Anthracite Properties

Know all about Anorthosite and Anthracite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Anorthosite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Anthracite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Anorthosite is Foliated, Glassy whereas that of Anthracite is Amorphous, Glassy. Anorthosite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Anthracite appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Anorthosite is pearly to subvitreous while that of Anthracite is shiny. Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors whereas Anthracite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Anorthosite are creating artwork, curling and that of Anthracite are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks