Definition
Aplite is a fine-grained granite composed mainly of feldspar and quartz
Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German Aplit, from Greek haploos simple + -ite
From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Graphic
Granular, Poikiloblastic
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Unknown, Unknown
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Small Sculptures, Tombstones
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux
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, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
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.
Carbonatites are intrusive or extrusive igneous rocks which are defined by mineralogic composition consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals and are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
1
Specific Gravity
2.6
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.84-2.86 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
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, Norway, 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
Aplite vs Carbonatite 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. Aplite vs Carbonatite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Aplite and Properties of Carbonatite. Learn more about Aplite vs Carbonatite in the next section. The interior uses of Aplite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Carbonatite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Aplite and Carbonatite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Aplite in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Carbonatite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Unknown, Unknown.
More about Aplite and Carbonatite
Here you can know more about Aplite and Carbonatite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Aplite and Carbonatite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Aplite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Carbonatite includes Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Aplite vs Carbonatite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Aplite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas, Carbonatite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Aplite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Carbonatite is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Aplite vs Carbonatite. The hardness of Aplite is 6.5 and that of Carbonatite is 3. The types of Aplite are Not Available whereas types of Carbonatite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Aplite and Carbonatite is white. The specific heat capacity of Aplite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Carbonatite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Aplite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Carbonatite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.