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Anthracite and Rhyolite


Rhyolite and Anthracite


Definition

Definition
Anthracite is a type of sedimentary rock which is hard and is variety of coal that has high luster   
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica   

History
  
  

Origin
Pennsylvania, U.S.   
North America   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Ferdinand von Richthofen   

Etymology
From Greek anthrakites, from anthrax, anthrak meaning coal   
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

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

Texture

Texture
Amorphous, Glassy   
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey   
Grey, White, Light Black   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Veined or Pebbled   
Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Not Yet Used   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens   

Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production   
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives   

Medical Industry
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Manufacture of Aspirins   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Not Yet Used   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry   
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry   

Types

Types
Semi-anthracite and Meta-anthracite   
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.   

Features
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel   
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
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.   
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals   
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   

Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur   
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
No   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Not Applicable   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
No   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Not Applicable   
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1-1.5   
6-7   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Large and Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Sub-conchoidal   

Streak
Black   
Colorless   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Shiny   
Earthy   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
140.00 N/mm2   
15

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
2   

Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4   
2.65-2.67   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
1.25-2.5 g/cm3   
2.4-2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
1.32 kJ/Kg K   
4
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Water Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania   
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom   
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela   
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Anthracite and Rhyolite Properties

Know all about Anthracite and Rhyolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Anthracite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Rhyolite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Anthracite is Amorphous, Glassy whereas that of Rhyolite is Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic. Anthracite appears Veined or Pebbled and Rhyolite appears Banded. The luster of Anthracite is shiny while that of Rhyolite is earthy. Anthracite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors whereas Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. The commercial uses of Anthracite are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry and that of Rhyolite are gemstone, laboratory bench tops, jewelry.

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