Aplite

Nephelinite

Aplite and Nephelinite

Aplite

Nephelinite

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Definition

Aplite is a fine-grained granite composed mainly of feldspar and quartz

Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).

History

Origin

Iran

Brazil

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From German Aplit, from Greek haploos simple + -ite

from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular, Graphic

Aphanitic

Color

Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Skeletal

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

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

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, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Small Sculptures, Tombstones

Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Igneous rock

Peralkaline Nephelinite

Features

Available in lots of colors, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock

Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

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.

Nephelinite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase

Compound Content

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

Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.56.5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Flat

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous

Vitreous to Metallic

Compressive Strength

130.00 N/mm²35.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.7

Specific Gravity

2.62.4-2.9

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm³2.5-3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.79 kJ/Kg K0.88 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Japan

Africa

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

Rwanda, Tanzania

Europe

Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic

Others

Hawaii Islands

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

All about Aplite and Nephelinite Properties

Know all about Aplite and Nephelinite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Aplite and Nephelinite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Aplite is Granular, Graphic whereas that of Nephelinite is Aphanitic. Aplite appears Veined or Pebbled and Nephelinite appears Skeletal. The luster of Aplite is dull to pearly to subvitreous while that of Nephelinite is vitreous to metallic. Aplite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Nephelinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Aplite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, small sculptures, tombstones and that of Nephelinite are creating artwork, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).