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Aplite and Gritstone


Gritstone and Aplite


Definition

Definition
Aplite is a fine-grained granite composed mainly of feldspar and quartz   
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone   

History
  
  

Origin
Iran   
Pennines, England   

Discoverer
Unknown   
J.J. Ferber   

Etymology
From German Aplit, from Greek haploos simple + -ite   
From Grit + Stone   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Granular, Graphic   
Earthy   

Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White   
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Veined or Pebbled   
Layered and Foliated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts   
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone   
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Small Sculptures, Tombstones   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Available in lots of colors, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Aplites belong to intrusive igneous rocks which are mostly quart and alkali feldspar and are formed from residual eutectic granitic liquids and represent the final crystallization products of magma.   
Gritstone is a type of sedimentary rock which was formed on the floors of wide river deltas where the grit deposits were laid down, with every tide or flood dumping another layer of sediment.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz   

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, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6.5   
6-7   

Grain Size
Very fine-grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Not Available   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
130.00 N/mm2   
16
70.00 N/mm2   
24

Cleavage
Not Available   
Perfect   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.6   
2.250   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
2.2 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.79 kJ/Kg K   
16
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan   

Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela   
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Aplite and Gritstone Properties

Know all about Aplite and Gritstone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Aplite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Gritstone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Aplite is Granular, Graphic whereas that of Gritstone is Earthy. Aplite appears Veined or Pebbled and Gritstone appears Layered and Foliated. The luster of Aplite is dull to pearly to subvitreous while that of Gritstone is dull. Aplite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Gritstone is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Aplite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, small sculptures, tombstones and that of Gritstone are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones.

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